The Way We Shouldn't Be
by Narfy
Summary: What if things ended differently on the night of the prom? What if Marge fell in love with Artie Ziff and not Homer? What kind of life would Marge and Homer lead, would it be a happier life for either of them? Find out! Please read and review
1. The Evening After Prom

A/N: Welcome friends, fans of the Simpsons, newcomers and the curious minds who always thought to themselves: What would happen if Marge fell in love with Artie Ziff? This idea has been on my mind for a while, it just took my creative juices longer to want to jump up and flow out. It finally happened about a month ago and I was more than eager to start, even though there were several chapters left of Amazon Dot D'oh, but I prevailed. From what I have mapped out, this will be a long story, possibly about twenty-five to thirty chapters, maybe a little less if I condense things down because I have two stories to tell, Marge's and Homer's, and both lead very different lives. Also this may be my last fanfic since I do graduate in December and soon I will be finding a job that might take me far, I am not sure on that quite yet so if the updates take much longer than usual you will know why. With that being said I hope I do not disappoint with what I am about to tell, so sit back and relax as I begin the tale that starts on that one fateful night back in 1974.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Simpsons.

* * *

The evening sky was the clearest it had been for many nights, the perfect night for a prom. The stars were shining like diamonds revealing the constellations and part of the Milky Way. The moon was full and bright, illuminating the hills and trees, no need for a flashlight even outside the city. You could not ask for a better night, a night for romance, a night for togetherness, and a night to share compassion to the one you wanted to pour out your heart and soul to.

High up above on a ridge overlooking the city that many called Inspiration Point, cars were lined up from those who had gone to the prom and were now spending quality time with the one they invited. For some it was just a regular date, but a special night in a special outfit to be together while the night was still young. For others, it was their first date and they knew they had to make this first date be a memory they would never want to forget.

Artie Ziff was one of these people who was hoping he would do everything right for the young lady he brought to the prom. He had picked her up from her house, danced with her and shared the title of prom king and queen with her. Now he was hoping that this was not the last time they would be together, and as he sat quietly in the car with Marge Bouvier staring out into the clear evening sky, he began to wonder if Marge was willing to accept his new proposal. He had never had a girlfriend before, so he really had no idea how to actually ask, so he was very nervous hoping if he did get rejected that it wouldn't be too harsh.

"Artie, is something troubling you?" Marge asked after many tense moments of silence where the only sounds that could be heard were the squeaking sounds made by the cars next to them.

Artie turned to Marge who was sitting quietly in the passenger seat, her hair just touching the roof of the car while her bright eyes stared back at him with curiosity. She was still wearing the tiara from being crowned queen of the prom, and to Artie she looked beautiful enough to be royalty. He knew that's why he liked her, she was beautiful and dazzling and he knew she picked the right person to go out to the prom with, not that buffoon Homer Simpson.

Artie didn't have many friends, rarely were they willing to spend much time with him, but he could not help it, he was a brainiac for a reason, he wanted to succeed and become a rich businessman and he wanted someone by his side to help his succeed. He knew Marge could be the one for that, he had known her for eight years now, always admiring her from afar with her beauty and her caring and passionate attitude. But now he wanted to step up and claim her, after that dance, he wanted to be closer to her, to fall in love with her, to be her knight in shining armor.

"…Well I was just thinking," he began as he nervously adjusted his glassed and rubbed the back of his neck pausing for a long moment.

"Yes?" Marge asked.

"I was thinking that tonight was a great night with you, I really enjoyed it," he replied.

"Oh definitely, you are a surprisingly good dancer," Marge said with a smile.

"Just because I spend most of my time with my nose in a book does not mean I miss out on other things. But there was something else I wanted to say," said Artie as he stared down at Marge's delicate hands.

"Oh and what is that?" Marge asked.

"Well…" Artie began before letting out a nervous cough. "I enjoyed it so much that I was thinking maybe…uh…well you see…oh Artie you're way over your head on this one." Artie then turned away from Marge letting out a depressed sigh while staring out at the city below.

"Artie, are you asking that we should see each other more often?" asked Marge.

Artie turned back to Marge, looking her in the eyes with a gleam of hope and wonder. Marge only stared back wondering if she found the right guy for her. He had been the gentleman of the evening, picking her up for the prom, buying the meal, and taking her out here to stare at the beautiful night sky with the moon shining bright. She knew he had a bit of arrogance about him, but she knew it was only because he was good at his academics and that would most likely fade over time once he left high school and moved on to something else more challenging. He wasn't the handsomest person she had ever come across, but did that really matter?

"Well that was my proposal…but you probably don't want to hang out with a guy who spends all his life staring at books," Artie replied as he twiddled his fingers between his knees, he seemed a bit embarrassed now. Marge only stared back with a heartwarming smile.

"Artie," Marge called out.

Artie looked up with a curious face, unsure if he was ready to take what Marge was about to say or not. Women were hard to figure out; he had experienced it many times in the past and had often wondered how women perceived men, another one of those great scientific mysteries that would never be solved.

"I think we've known each other long enough to say we should be together more often. I know you've always admired me, always complimented me, and helped me when I needed it. I guess we never really realized how much we cared about each other…until now."

Artie's face went from a frown to a smile in only a few seconds. Marge had actually accepted his proposal! From that moment he was no longer single but with someone he had admired for many years now. He could not believe it, and could not stop smiling as he pulled out his hand, an invitation for them both to show intimacy between them. Marge quickly took his hand and stared back at him, their eyes locked in a tender moment.

Things were working out, just as Artie had hoped. He continued to stare into Marge's eyes wondering when the right time would be for him to reach out and give her a tender kiss. Artie knew he couldn't hesitate and finally went for it, he moved forward, and Marge quickly knew what he was doing and followed suit. Seconds later, both had their arms around each other in a loving embrace, the first feeling of great passion between them. As they embraced, Artie had the idea of moving toward second base. For a moment he began to move his hand down toward Marge's shoulder strap so he could loosen it a little and move downward, but as he did so, his conscience got the better of him. He quickly realized that it was too soon and that he should probably wait it out, he did not want to anger Marge and end the relationship too soon. He quickly put his hands back behind her, continuing with what he had started.

Marge never even noticed.

* * *

A few miles from where Artie and Marge were sharing their first night together, a lone figure was making his way home after a disastrous evening. Each step he took was slow and dragging because what he had hoped for tonight was not coming true. The bellbottomed dress pants and the shoes that he wore were now caked in mud from walking into puddles, he sort of squeaked when he walked. His dress shirt was also splattered in mud from passing motorists who did not give a damn about the lonely figure walking home. He was probably just a stupid bum with nowhere to go so why show passion for him.

Tears were still falling down his face as he walked home, and he could barely see what was up ahead of him because his eyes were so watered. It was such an upsetting thing to see the woman of his dreams leaving in another car that belonged to someone who he believed did not deserve her. He knew the man would not love her as much as he did and he wished there was some way that Marge could change her mind, but you could not fix free will, it was up to the other person to fall in love, and in time Homer Simpson would have to understand that.

His heart was broken now though and every step he took felt like it had been years without seeing Marge, he just wanted to lay down in a ditch and slowly die. But he had to press on, one day things would look up to him. It wouldn't happen at this moment but someday soon, maybe it was only for tonight, maybe Marge would forget all about Artie Ziff by Monday and things would be right again. Homer could only hope that was the case, for now though, all he wanted was to be in his room listening to the songs that Marge loved and wishing that she was there with him. He just wanted to talk to her, tell her how much he loved her, how much she meant to him, and how much he wanted to be part of her life. Apparently that was too much to ask for though, apparently he was not worthy for such a beautiful young lady as her. Even after he tried to pick her up in a limo, bought dinner for her and even bought her a beautiful flower to put on her dress. What more could she want? What did Artie have that he didn't? What was it that Marge saw in him? He wasn't as handsome as him, that was for damn sure so why did Marge choose him?

His mind continued to race, stopping only when another car passed too close and sprayed mud all over him yet again. He was glad tonight was a clear night though, it would have been worse if it was raining. But that still did not make him any happier, he was just simply miserable.

Finally the road took him to a familiar place that he had wanted to be for the past half an hour. The beginning of his neighborhood. Slowly he made his way up the block, passing by houses that were already dark for the evening. Some were still lit as people were still up watching their favorite programs or spending the evening with the ones they loved. How he wished that were true for him, tonight would have been perfect and so joyful. Why could he not get what he wanted?

It wasn't long before he reached his home; the lights were still on in the living room so his father was most likely still up watching some cheesy movie or a late night game. Homer knew his father would not give him any support so it was no use telling him anything. He really needed some sympathy right now but that was impossible. Barney was probably out with a girl he found or sound asleep somewhere after streaking past everyone in the gym. But of course Barney was not a very good sympathizer either, Homer just had to suck it up.

Homer finally entered the house and sure enough he found his father Abe sitting on the living room sofa watching an old movie never taking his eyes off the screen. Homer closed the door and then stood a few feet away from his father who took no notice of him until Homer let out a short cough. Abe slowly took his eyes off the television and stared back at Homer.

"Eh home already I see, without a girl too. Somehow I knew you would screw up," he said before taking a swig of his beer and turning back to the movie he was watching.

Homer stood there for a moment staring at his father, a screw up, that's all he ever was to his father. It was heartbreaking and it made him wish his father was more sentimental. Finally after waiting long enough for some sympathy, Homer let out a big sigh and walked out of the living room toward his own room.

He opened the door to find that his room was a mess, but he really didn't care, no one else was with him so why bother to clean it up. It was late and he could do it tomorrow when he had nothing else to do. He made his way over to his record player and sorted through the songs that he owned. Finally he came across his favorite album by Queen and put it on the record player. As the song slowly began to play, Homer made his way over to his bed and sat down thinking about what went wrong between him and Marge. It was just something that he could not get out of his mind and he was really beating himself up about it. What made it worse too was that the first song to play on his record was Somebody to Love and it seemed to be speaking to him.

But he did not turn it off; instead he began to take off his sodden bellbottoms and threw them on the pile of dirty laundry in the corner. He would have to clean them later, he was in no mood to do so now. A moment later, he took off his shirt and also threw it in the pile leaving him in just his underwear as he continued to sit on his bed looking down at the floor while listening to the lyrics of the song.

_Everyday I try and I try and I try  
but everybody wants to put me down  
They say I'm going crazy  
They say I got a lot of water in my brain  
Got no common sense  
I got nobody left to believe._

As Homer listened to these lyrics he got up and made his way over to his dresser to look for his boxers, but he did not proceed to open the drawer. Instead he looked at himself in the mirror that was above the dresser. His eyes were now puffy from crying, and his face was so forlorn from having to watch everything dance past him. What made it worse too was that the song seemed to be speaking to him. It was true, everyone put him down, they called him an idiot and that he really did have no common sense. Who could he believe now? No one was there to talk to him. He could only stare back at his sad reflection and feel sorry for himself. His reflection could not help him and neither could his broken hearted soul. He didn't know what to do and he knew that it was going to be a long weekend.

Finally, once the song was over and the album had already played halfway through another song, Homer opened his drawer and pulled out his old boxers. He quickly put them on before making his way to his bed where once again he sat there staring at the floor until he finally lay down on his back and stared up at the ceiling.

As he did so, he thought about what to do. He had only known Marge for over a month now, yet he seemed to know her forever. But could he go back to where he was before he met her? Maybe he could, he just had to figure out how he could do it. He would have to avoid her as much as possible, but how did he miss seeing her in the first place? She was so beautiful; you could not miss that long blue hair flowing through the hallways or those beautiful bright eyes that seemed to look deeply in your soul. There must have been something that he did to miss her. He knew he had to get her out of his mind and he began to rummage through it looking for something else to think about.

But of course the night had been exhausting; he had gone to the prom, stuck around with the limo driver for a few hours and then walked a few miles home. It was an exhausting thing he had done and after many moments of rummaging through his thoughts, his mind went blank. He had fallen asleep, he would now be sent into a world of dreams that would bring happiness and love, a place where hopefully sadness would not follow.

* * *

A/N: Well there's the first chapter for you, hope you all enjoyed that. Had a little trouble with the first half since I had no idea what was a good way to ask if someone should go steady with someone else. Yeah I need to get out more. Also I promise to try my hardest to keep Homer from being too emo. I guess that's all I need to say for now, please review; I want to know what you guys think.


	2. The Monday After Prom

Monday morning arrived and Homer was making his way to school trying his hardest to keep his feelings under control and to forget all that had happened Friday night. He had thought about what to do most of the weekend and usually found himself walking down the block thinking things over by himself. Barney never called him that weekend and Homer wondered what became of his best friend. But being by yourself did have some advantages and Homer realized that he could just go about his business. If he did run into Marge, he would find out for sure if it really was just a one night fling with Artie Ziff. But what if it wasn't? Homer couldn't figure that one out; it was hard to get that lovely girl out of his mind.

He was so deep in thought by this that he wasn't paying attention to any of the songs playing on the radio or even where he was going. Apparently he was so used to driving to school that he arrived safely enough into his own parking space right next to Barney who was waiting for him while the song Waterloo by Abba was playing loudly on his radio. For a moment Barney was so into the music that he did not even notice Homer until he got out of the car and stood by his driver's side door. Barney looked up with a start before sheepishly turning off the radio and his car before getting out.

"It's not what it looks like," Barney said nervously, apparently he did not want to admit that he was an Abba fan.

"Sure it isn't," Homer said with a sly grin on his face before he began to walk toward the building.

"What? I swear, there was nothing else on," said Barney as he locked the door and followed Homer into the school. Homer only giggled under his breath while Barney tried to catch up. "So how did prom night go for you, apparently someone gave me a really powerful drug because I woke up Saturday afternoon in an alley in Little Italy, naked and covered in tomato sauce."

"At least your night was eventful, I had to walk home because Marge wet out with Artie Ziff," said Homer sadly.

"You mean that girl you liked stood you up?" Barney exclaimed. Homer let out a sigh and nodded before looking back at Barney with a sad face. "You didn't even get to first base like you hoped?" Homer shook his head. "Oh man talk about a really bad luck, she seemed perfect for you, but now you are bachelor like me again so I guess this means one thing!"

"What's that?" Homer asked as he looked down at the ground not wanting to meet Barney's gaze, afraid that he would burst into tears any moment over the girl he liked.

"It's time to ruin our lungs out!" Barney said as he took out a cigarette and started to smoke before handing Homer the pack. Homer stared at the package, he usually only smoked in Barney's presence and he could barely even finish one before coughing up a fit, he preferred beer really but beer was still illegal for him, so cigarettes would have to do for now. But Homer was in no mood to smoke at the moment, he really needed to get to class since he had been away from school for three weeks to avoid Marge, and not bother her by asking if the invitation to the prom has really been cancelled, which of course it was. He quickly handed the package back to Barney.

"Maybe later, I can't miss any part of class today, I've been gone for too long," Homer said.

"But you've missed enough to know that you have to take summer school so why not just hang by the bleachers for a bit?" asked Barney.

"Hey I could get lucky," said Homer as he walked away from Barney toward the building. There was no way he was going to get distracted by his best friend, he wanted to at least try to pass a class or two and only take a few in the summer, at least he hoped it would happen.

Homer entered the building, a place that seemed new to him since he had not been there in three weeks. For a moment he had forgotten which side of the building he was on as he tried to remember where his locker was. It didn't take long once he got his bearings corrected and ran down the main hall passing students who were either running to class or talking to their newfound boyfriend or girlfriend that they had made while at prom. Some of his fellow classmates recognized him as he ran down the hall calling out his name and asking where he had been. Homer of course ignored them; he did not want to be distracted at the moment and soon found himself at his locker which of course he forgot the combination of.

For a few moments, Homer stood by the locker staring at the combination and numbers surrounding it, he really should have had it memorized by now but his thoughts were swimming on other things like getting to class and if he was going to see Marge today or not. But he had to get those thoughts out of his head in order to get what he needed at that moment and once he was finally able to do so, after a good five minutes, he opened his locker to discover that there was a very strange odor coming from inside. Homer took a whiff and backed away a little, nearly knocking down another student heading to class.

"Everything alright there Homer?" a familiar voice said. It was his friend Carl Carlson and both shared first period class together.

"It will be once I find what I left in here three weeks ago," Homer replied as he moved his books out of the way.

Carl moved forward a bit before backing up from the smell. "Oh man Homer; you could choke the entire school with that smell! What in the world can smell that bad?"

"I'm trying to figure that out, I don't think its food, I never forget the food I bring," Homer said before letting out a gasp and backing up again. "I think I found it." He then grabbed his ruler that was on top of one of his books and began to push things aside with it to get to what he was after.

"What is it?" asked Carl as he watched Homer take the ruler and dig deep into one of the corners.

It wasn't long before Carl realized that it definitely was not food, but it was definitely something that was capable of being very smelly when left alone for a while. Homer's gym shorts.

"I've been wondering what happened to these, I guess they have been in my locker longer than three weeks," said Homer as he held them up with the ruler causing the entire student body in the hallway to gag from the horrible smell.

Carl of course did the same until he covered his face with his shirt and noticed something strange about the shorts that had once been pure white. "Is it just me or are they turning green?"

* * *

Once the toxic pants were disposed of properly, Homer and Carl made their way to Algebra, the first class of the day and one they both despised tremendously. Their teacher Miss Swartzski was not the most pleasant of teachers to deal with. She was not afraid to speak her mind about students, and had no second thoughts about revealing who was failing her class. Homer knew today was not going to be a good day to be there, but he had to, he had to finish and hopefully find a way to pass.

Both entered the classroom a little early so Homer could at least take some notes from Carl and hopefully find out what assignments he had missed over the three weeks. He tried to enter in a nonchalant manner by quickly making his way over to his favorite seat and gathering what he needed for class, but Miss Swartzski was quick to notice and was quick to have a few choice words with him.

"Glad to see you back Mr. Simpson, though seeing as how there are only four weeks left in the school year I highly doubt you can catch up, especially with how your grade was before you disappeared," Miss Swartzski said in a voice that made her sound like a rude old rich lady. Of course she was already two out of three of those things and many of the students believed she was rude because she was not rich and because she was old. She probably had the freedom to retire soon but everyone believed she would not do it just because they believed she wanted to suck the lives out of everyone for as long as she could. Not only that, she never married and many believed her rude and angry behavior was the result of no sex life. Homer could already feel the happiness slip out of him as she made her way toward him and as she did so, he felt himself shrink in fear.

"W-W-Well I d-do have my h-h-homework from the l-last time I-I was in c-class," Homer said worriedly as he handed her the homework he had done three weeks ago.

Miss Swartzski quickly grabbed the paper out of his hand and looked it over for a moment before turning it back to him. "You know the rules for my class, no late assignments unless you are on your death bead and I highly doubt you were on your death bed seeing as how I heard rumors of you at prom."

Homer glared back at her before looking around the room, half the students were already in and all of them were staring at him, it felt like the whole world was on his shoulders now. "But Miss Swartzski, have a heart, I did my homework and I can do the rest, I promise, I really want to pass just so you won't have to see me this summer."

"I already plan on seeing you this summer Mr. Simpson, seeing as how since before you left you had a C-, and since you haven't done any homework since then or the quiz I gave two weeks ago, you will have to get something higher than an A- minus for the next quiz and for the final. I seriously doubt you will be that lucky," Miss Swartzski replied icily before moving to the front of the room and started writing on the board.

"Aren't you supposed to encourage kids to do good, not humiliate them in front of the entire student body?" asked Homer who now had been quite embarrassed by what his teacher said to him that he had to fight back. He wanted to get the last word in to show that he was willing to try.

"And aren't you supposed to be speaking to Principal Dondelinger about your absence, no doubt you are failing your other classes," Miss Swartzski said without turning around.

"I don't know, am I? Or are you just trying to fail me further?" Homer asked with great spite causing Carl to actually back away a little bit.

Miss Swartzski turned around and glared back at him for a moment, her foot tapping on the smooth linoleum as if waiting for another comeback before she said anything else. Homer waited for her though before she finally replied. "I am not starting class until you leave this room, and if you don't, I will have Dondelinger drag you out myself."

Homer gave Miss Swartzski one last glare before slamming his book closed and stomped out the door in an angry huff. But not before leaving behind a few choice words. "Should have thrown my algae encrusted pants at you ya old bat!"

* * *

Homer knew the location of the principal's office well, for the past four years; he had been there more times than he could count. He and Principal Dondelinger had a mutual hate toward each other and it always seemed that Dondelinger was counting down the days till Homer finally left the academic field for good. Homer hated visiting him too, he knew if he did better in school and didn't break any rules he wouldn't have this problem. But being around his friends wouldn't stop him of that; you would always expect Homer Simpson to be in Principal Dondelinger's office once a week, sometimes accompanied by Barney.

It wasn't long before Homer reached the Principals office, well his secretary was the first office to be reached and he quickly made himself known by grabbing a seat against the wall as hard as he could, this caused the secretary Mrs. Warner to look up from what she was doing.

"Back again Mr. Simpson?" She asked in almost an annoyed sigh.

"Yes ma'am, Swartzski told me to," Homer said.

"Well I will let Dondelinger know you are here, he said he was expecting you sometime this week any way," Mrs. Warner said before she went down the hall toward Dondelinger's office. Homer sat there thinking, was he going to be expelled for the rest of the semester? Would he have to wait another month to go back to school and graduate in August? He could not believe this was happening and it was all over a girl he liked, one that refused to acknowledge him. Homer let out a sigh and was about to lean back on his chair when he heard Dondelinger call out his name. Homer looked up and saw the old principal motioning for him to come into his office. Homer slowly got up and moseyed his way over, taking his time to think of any excuses to come up with.

Of course once Homer was close enough to Dondelinger's office, Dondelinger grabbed him by the cuff of his jacket and pulled him in before making him sit down. Homer landed heavily on the hard chair and looked up at Dondelinger with a sheepish smile. Dondelinger only glared back before turning to his file cabinet to find Homer's record. As he did so, Homer looked around the room to see if there was anything new to stare at. Nothing out of the ordinary until he looked out the window and saw the morning gym class exercising, it wasn't long for him to realize that one of them was Marge. He stared out at her with a longing look in his eyes, he wanted to talk to her now, find out if she broke up with Artie and if so, would she be interested in being his boyfriend. He hoped he could do so after the meeting with Dondelinger which at the moment he had forgotten until the man woke him from his trance.

"SIMPSON!" Dondelinger's voice called out. Homer jumped up and turned back at him.

"I sense Miss Swartzski sent you?" he asked.

"Yes sir, can you believe she embarrassed me in front of the entire class about my grades, I did not like that at all," said Homer as he twiddled his fingers.

"Well you probably deserved it, doing nothing for three weeks, we began to believe you dropped out, but there you were Friday night at the prom and here you are this morning. What was the reason for your absence?" asked Dondelinger.

Homer stared back at his principal for a moment, trying to think of the best excuse he could come up with. But nothing was really coming out, all he could see in his mind was Marge stretching out on the field. Apparently honesty was the best policy at the moment.

"Girl problems sir," Homer said quietly.

"Girl problems? Have you been picked on by them or something?" Dondelinger asked, his brow rose in curiosity at the idea of a girl picking on Homer.

"No sir, I have a crush on one and I upset her one night after I asked her out to the prom, she said yes but then she told me she didn't like me after I tricked her into teaching me French. So in order to not upset her I decided to avoid her by not showing up until prom night," Homer replied.

Dondelinger stared back at Homer, obviously confused by his idea of skipping school. Kids today, always thinking about what to put in their pants and not what to put into their brains. "Well because of your foolish idea, your grades are suffering."

"Is there any way I can try to pass some classes with at least a C?" Homer asked.

"Well I talked with your teachers this morning, all seven of them, and the good news is that you can fix most of them. Your gym teacher doesn't seem to care if you show up or not, he thinks it's more of a workout class to help keep your weight right. Your shop class teacher currently only has one assignment and you had an A in it all semester. Your English teacher, Mr. Larson, well you got lucky on that one, he is currently in the hospital after slipping down the stairs the second week you went missing, been too injured to assign anything with the substitute teacher. Your history teacher will let you catch up, you had a B- and he thinks you are a solid student; apparently he's never met the real side of you. Your speech teacher wants to hear the speech you were supposed to give the first week, if you do it sometime this week, he will give you a C+ since that is what you have in the class."

"So I am going to be fine then? Woo Hoo! Today's not a total loss after all!" Homer cried out in a voice that sounded very excited as he jumped up with glee and stared back out the window at Marge who was now getting ready to do some track with the rest of the gym class.

"Not quite Simpson, sit down," Dondelinger said. Homer was once again not listening as he continued to stare out the window. Dondelinger then got up and closed the blinds. Homer stared back with surprise before remembering what he was here for. "You still have two classes that I'm afraid will be too hard for you to catch up, Algebra and Remedial Science 1A. Now you already spoke with Miss Swartzski this morning, and I really don't see you passing that class unless you really study. And your science teacher Mrs. Trandel, well you know how she gives out quizzes twice a week, and if you miss them, that's it, you failed them. So it's really going to be hard for you to pass that class."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Homer asked.

"Well you can either take those two classes and try to pass, but you would have to study day and night, or you can wait to graduate in August and take both classes in the summer. It's your choice," Dondelinger replied as he shifted through his notes to make sure he had said everything he needed to say.

Homer thought for a moment, he tried to shift his eyes toward the window before realizing that Dondelinger had closed it. He could not remember if he had any big plans this summer, save for finding a job and maybe moving in with Barney. He had no plans for college, just to find a job and maybe get Marge to like him, it was farfetched on that last one but it could work. Would his father care? He didn't think so, Abe never showed any support any way so there was no point in asking his father or telling him. Plus the idea of studying day and night was not something he was prepared to handle, he could not stay in one place for long, he liked to have fun and memorizing things got really boring after a while. It was best to start things over.

"I'll take the two classes in the summer, graduate in August, and then you will be out of my hair for good," Homer replied finally.

"Very good, don't worry about going to Algebra then, I will inform Miss Swartzski that you will continue starting June first," Dondelinger said as he took his notes and put them back in the filing cabinet. Homer let out a sigh and started to walk out the door to go find Marge, but not until Dondelinger had one more message for him. "And Simpson!" Homer turned around nervously. "Tell Mr. Gumble to see me as soon as possible about his indecent exposure at the prom."

* * *

It didn't take long for Homer to reach the field where gym was being held in its last ten minutes of class. Homer made his way toward the track where most of the students were running and saw Marge coming around the turn, he knew she was almost finished by the way most of the students were getting off the track, getting drinks and sitting down. As soon as Marge left the track, Homer made his way toward her cautiously. Marge quickly saw him come over and stood where she was, letting him come over to find out what he wanted.

"Hi Marge!" Homer said with a nervous smile.

"Hello Homer, what are you doing here?" Marge asked as she took a sip of water.

"I just came over to say hi and to find out how your night went," Homer replied.

"Well hello then, and my night was fantastic," Marge said before walking over to a group of girls, apparently in no mood to hear about Homer's night. Homer stood there, realizing he had been shot down yet again.

"So it's serious?" Homer asked in a pitiful sounding voice.

"Oh yes Homer it's very serious," a voice replied from behind him.

Homer turned around to find Artie standing there in his gym clothes with an angry look on his face, obviously upset that he was bothering Marge yet again about being with her. Homer backed away a little bit until he realized that Artie was more of a scholar and not much of a fighter.

"I was just curious, no need for that bug up your ass to go up further," Homer said. "I was making sure she still wasn't interested in me and that maybe you ruined her night to make her change her mind or something."

"Well she's not, so stay away from her if you know what's good for you," Artie said as he walked by and gave Homer a heavy shove.

"Or what will you do if I don't poindexter?" asked Homer in a sarcastic voice.

Artie turned around and ran forward, grabbing Homer by the collar looking him straight in the eye. "Just stay away from her, do you hear me?" Artie then shoved Homer back, causing him to fall roughly into the pavement while Artie walked toward the group. Homer sat there for a minute a little shocked by what went on and surprised Artie had it in him. Slowly he picked himself up and dusted off his pants before he heard a familiar voice call back to him.

"Nice try Romeo, you gave it your best shot." Homer turned toward the bleachers and found Lenny sitting there with Barney; both had apparently seen what had gone on.

"Next time pummel the four eyes ass," Barney called back as he took a swig of some soda while Homer made his way over.

"Thanks Barn, but I guess I am supposed to remain single, and Dondelinger wants you in his office," Homer sighed.

"Oh great what did I do?" Barney asked with a burp.

"You know how you woke up in little Italy naked, well you were naked long before that," Homer said.

"Oh that explains why my tuxedo was hanging on the basketball hoop in the gym." Barney replied as he followed Homer back into school.

* * *

A/N: First off before I begin: CURSE YOU WIKIPEDIA! Any way this is my response to Simpson fans review about how he for some odd reason decided to look up information about Queen. Yes I did know the song was made in 1976, but that was after I decided to look up some information about it and I liked what I had written and didn't want to change it. I even discussed it with a friend who said no one will notice, but Simpson Fan you proved us wrong, surprised you were the one who found it too, but I will shut up now about it.

And another thing, just so you all know, I have no plans to kill Homer in this story, the only injury he will probably receive is him and Barney drinking too much beer and ending up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning, that is it, he is already suffering enough being single and all that. But he will have some fun so don't worry about that. Any way sorry for the long wait on this chapter as well, I forget that October is my busy month which is weird. But please review when you guys can, I love hearing from you all, see you all soon.


	3. The Party after Graduation

The final weeks of school seemed to go by quickly for the students at Springfield High, and everyone agreed that it was such a relief to be finally over and done with. Most of the students were ready to move on and go to college, while others, mainly Homer, were now planning on attending an extra three months of high school to finish what they started. Homer had passed his other classes like he wanted to, though barely in Speech after giving everyone a lecture about why they should bring the minimum age to drink down to fifteen. So far, Homer had talked Barney's uncle into giving him a job at the bowling alley, he planned to work there during the weekends during the summer and then for as long as he could with Barney once he was done with school. Both were not looking into college yet but both planned on buying an apartment as soon as they got enough money from their paycheck to move out of their parents houses.

Barney did not need to attend summer school and was out there with the rest of the class getting ready to graduate. Homer of course did not want to miss out on his best friends graduation so he happily sat in the stands with Mr. and Mrs. Gumble while Barney walked up to receive his certificate. The graduation went in alphabetical order of last name, so the first person that Homer really cared about getting a certificate was Marge, who he loudly whooped and hollered over causing most of the graduates to turn around and wonder who was being so enthusiastic over her. Marge of course only rolled her eyes while Artie sat in his seat grumbling under his breath at how ridiculous Homer was being.

Next came Carl Carlson who Homer also gave a round of applause to for finally graduating. Barney's turn came after a very long gap but that did not stop both Homer and Barney's parents from cheering him on as he reached the podium and shook hands with Dondelinger before waving at everyone and looking all proud for finally finishing high school. Lenny Leonard was next and actually danced onstage as he received his diploma. Apparently the rest of the school loved it because everyone started yelling and hollering happily for him.

Now that Homer's friends were all done, there was no one else to cheer for, but decided to stay put when he remembered that the last person up to receive his diploma was Artie. Homer knew that it would be fun to jeer at him since he was also the valedictorian to the class. It was a long wait but Homer was ready for it when it finally happened. Dondelinger announced Artie as the last person to receive his diploma and as soon as Artie showed himself, Homer booed him as loud as he could, even though his classmates around him were clapping over him, so no one really heard him until the entire auditorium went silent as Artie made his way to the podium to give a speech.

"Boo, you suck!" Homer yelled.

Artie stared at his notes for a moment before looking up at Homer with a smirk. "I suck huh? Well I'm not the one watching all of his classmates graduate while you have to wait another three months am I," Artie said. The auditorium let out a roar of laughter. Homer only glared back until the room was silent once again.

"Eh well you still suck any way," Homer called out before getting up and walking out. He was in no mood to listen to the guy who took the woman he loved; he had better things to do. There was a new record he had recently bought at home waiting him; at least he could count on that.

* * *

It was now five in the evening and Homer was rummaging through his record collection wondering what song he could waste a few hours with now. If he had graduated, he knew he would be doing something tonight; perhaps his father would actually care enough to take him out to dinner like his friends were most likely doing for the evening. He knew a party was going on sometime during the week, but he knew he was probably not invited; only the people who were graduating could attend. He had no idea if he was the only one who failed this past year in two classes and he didn't really want to know. He just wanted to prove to Dondelinger that he could pass, and maybe perhaps become successful in something one day, he had no idea what it was yet though. Nothing seemed to catch his eyes, not even the new nuclear power plant that Lenny would not shut up about.

Homer stared at the cover of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, wondering if the record would be worth wasting a few hours with when the phone rang. For a moment he wondered if it was his father calling him to ask him what he wanted for dinner, or that he was working late. One of those rare instances in which Abe cared about Homer. Homer ran to get the phone and was surprised to hear Barney on the other end of the line.

"Hey Homer, whatcha doing tonight?" Barney asked.

"Oh nothing spectacular, just thinking about listening to Pink Floyd," Homer said with a bored sigh.

"Oh good, so you're not doing anything. Lenny, Carl and I were wondering if you wanted to help us crash Ryan Thurston's graduation party tonight, we got some whisky to put into the punch," Barney said as he shook the bottle loud enough for Homer to hear on the other end of the line.

"Oh I don't know Barney, it sounds tempting, but I don't think I am invited, seeing as how I haven't graduated yet," Homer said.

"You can be our guest," Barney said as if trying his hardest to convince Homer to come. Homer of course was more nervous about the fact that Ryan Thurston was holding the party, one of Artie Ziff's friends. Artie would most likely be there and so would Marge, so Homer was of course nervous about the idea of showing up and trying to avoid her or even trying to get near her after drinking some of the whisky. It was probably best not to go.

"I bet they got finger foods!" Carl said excitedly knowing full well how Homer loved small samples.

Homer thought about the foods in his mind for a moment, cheese squares, crackers with dip, sausages, even sushi. Those foods were never easy to pass up. "Mmmmmm…horse doovers," Homer drooled while he mispronounced the name.

"So is that a yes?" Barney asked.

"Yeah, I have nothing better to do, and if Artie gives me any trouble I'll just fight back, after all I got you guys to back me up," Homer replied.

Barney only let out a nervous laugh. "We'll pick you up in fifteen minutes."

The party was already well underway when the four friends arrived, the song "Pinball Wizard" by The Who was blaring out loudly through the windows and doorways, while several students danced and played air guitar to the song by the open windows. Nearby the four could see three well known students hiding behind some bushes, a small smoke trail rising up above them. Another bush was shaking a few feet away; this was definitely a wild party outside, but what about inside?

Homer followed his friends inside and were quickly greeted by one of Ryan's friends named Stuart, a tall fellow known to have given quite a few concussions in his days as a football player. Homer of course stared at him with a nervous gulp; he could sense Stuart knew all about his inability to graduate.

"I didn't know you were invited?" Stuart said with a huff.

"Oh he's with us, we thought we could bring a guest," Barney replied as bravely as he could.

Stuart stared back at Homer for a moment while Homer slowly started backing away; knowing it probably wasn't a good idea to be there. This guy could beat him up if he made one bad move and he really did not want to take that chance.

"Awww come on Stuart old pal, do this as a favor after I got you out of that scuffle last junior year," Carl said as he patted his friend on the shoulder.

Stuart rolled his eyes and wiped Carl's hand off his shoulder. "Alright, but if he makes any funny business, out he goes." Stuart quickly stepped aside and let the four boys into the room.

Jackpot, Homer was now among friends, ready to have a great time and enjoy the evening as he tried to get the idea of not graduating yet out of his mind. And the best way for him to do that was to go straight over to the finger foods table where he immediately got a plate and started to pile it all on, at the same time, the guys began pouring a bottle of Jack Daniels into the punch bowl.

As Homer was getting all excited over the idea of chicken wraps, Ryan appeared next to him watching him take as much food that could fit onto his plate and occasionally his pockets. Homer was so into what he was doing that he did not notice him until he moved over to the cheese squares. As soon as he did, he almost dropped all of his treasure onto the floor; luckily he had good balance for that split second.

"Hi Ryan," Homer said nervously.

Ryan stared at him for a moment like an angry college professor waiting patiently for an essay to be returned. Homer of course felt like the student and stood there stock still, not sure what to do with all the food in his hands. He really had not been invited and now he had nearly ransacked the entire buffet table.

"You know you can have seconds, even thirds, hell you can even have tenths if you heart so desires, I have plenty more waiting in the kitchen," Ryan said.

Homer let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, I guess I just get excited over finger foods, they are so tasty."

"Yes I know your love of food well, and I know I did not invite you, so please behave or I will send Stuart to kick you out, have I made myself clear?" asked Ryan.

"Sure," Homer replied before turning around and grabbing a few pieces of ham. Ryan only rolled his eyes as he made his way to some friends who were discussing their ideas for the summer.

Homer reached the punch bowl where his friends were now snickering at what they had done. Barney was already halfway through one glass but showed no signs of drunkenness. Homer watched him slurp down the rest as another student came forward and took a ladleful of punch. He took a quick sip before spitting it out and turning to the four guys who were huddled around it.

"You guys are morons," he said before walking away.

"Hmm looks like he might tell Ryan on us, should we move somewhere else?" asked Lenny.

"Yeah let's go hang on the porch and watch them throw horseshoes," Carl replied while Barney and Homer filled their glasses up before following them to the back of the house.

Apparently this was where most of the action was, most of the girls were there cheering their boyfriends on in the game. While others were playing pool or watching a baseball game on TV. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves now that high school was out of the way and the only thing they needed to worry about now was college. Homer and the guys looked around for a spot to sit down or a conversation to join, when Marge entered through the back door.

Homer's heart skipped a beat as she made her way in his direction, the song "American Woman" by The Who blaring over the speakers, the perfect song for such a moment. She was wearing a skirt that went down just above the knees and a shirt that showed her lower abs including her bellybutton. Her hair was down today so it flowed in the wind as she closed the door behind her. He could not help but stare at her as she walked past him while he took a big gulp of his whisky laced punch. It was like seeing her at first sight again and he wanted to embrace her tightly in his arms.

"Wow Homer, you tried to go out with that girl?" asked Lenny.

Homer said nothing but took another big gulp of his drink, emptying it and already starting to feel a buzz. Whisky worked much quicker than beer, but Homer did not really know this and was willing to go back for more especially since that was where Marge was going. But there was no way he was going to let her drink that stuff, it was more for the guys and Marge didn't need all that alcohol down her throat. Setting his mountain of finger foods down, he ran toward the buffet table cutting in front of Marge while he poured some more punch for himself.

"I wouldn't drink this stuff if I were you," Homer said.

"Oh? How come?" Marge asked as she grabbed a Vienna sausage.

"My buddies put whisky in it, girls shouldn't drink whisky," Homer replied before letting out a large hiccup.

"Oh! Well that's not fair to everyone who just wants to enjoy a drink of punch, I better tell Ryan," Marge said as she walked off. Homer watched her go, apparently when she moved fast, her butt wiggled and it made him giggle as she walked off. The whisky was settling into his system rather quickly, he was still young and had not been taught properly how it was much stronger than beer. He quickly grabbed another cupful after taking one large gulp of his second cup. He drank a few more sips of his newly refreshed cup before Ryan returned with his girlfriend Abby, both looking a bit annoyed.

"So you spiked the punch?" he asked.

"No it wasn't me it was the guys," Homer said as he tried to point toward the guys, now feeling very tipsy and unsure where to point.

Ryan growled under his breath as he ran to the back of the house, leaving Abby with Homer. Homer turned to Abby with a drunken smile, his eyes quickly falling down to her chest where she was revealing enough cleavage to make any man fall for her.

"You got nice boobies," Homer exclaimed.

"Umm…thanks," Abby said as she turned around and went the other way where Marge was talking with some other girls.

Homer watched her go, and just like Marge, her butt was wiggling as she ran off. Homer of course, was not using much common sense now, so whatever came out of his mouth was not something to be proud of.

"Glad it's shaken, not stirred," he said with a giggle before taking another sip.

"Ugh, and you kiss your mother with that mouth," another voice said next to him.

Homer turned around to see another girl in his class, Sarah Connelly. Not the most attractive girl in the class, and definitely not one with the best attitude either. Yet for some reason tonight, Homer found her attractive and he quickly let out a sigh of happiness to her.

"Actually my…hic…mother is dead," Homer said with a laugh and now getting even more tipsy.

"Ugh and you find that funny?" asked Sarah with a sneer, an expression that always made the boy shudder at how horrible she looked when she did it. But Homer didn't seem to notice this time.

"Because you asked me…hic…if I kissed my…hic…mother….it would be kinda…hic…gross to kiss my own dead…hic…mother now wouldn't it?" asked Homer as he looked closer at Sarah's bosom.

"Stop staring you pig," Sarah said as she slapped him hard in the face.

"I am not a pig…hic…I am a...hic…human person," Homer said as he rubbed his cheek before Lenny grabbed his punch glass from his hand.

"Geeze Homer, we only wanted you to drink one glass," Lenny said.

"Well it was some…hic… very good punch…hic… I find Sarah here very attractive, now give me…hic… a smooch," Homer said as he ran back toward Sarah not caring if she liked getting kissed on the face or not.

"Get the hell away from me you drunk!" Sarah said as she pushed him away, hard enough to send him crashing down. Of course, Homer tried to stay level and grabbed the table linen cover, causing all the food on the table to crash to the ground with him.

Moments later, Homer found himself covered in all sorts of finger foods while scores of people who had heard all the commotion came over and stood around him to see what had gone on. Homer looked up at everyone with a sheepish grin knowing full well that he had just ruined part of the party for everyone. He could see Marge and Artie standing nearby with unhappy faces while Barney, Lenny, and Carl tried to help him up.

"This is your fault for spiking the punch," Ryan grumbled at the three.

"Hey we didn't know Homer would take so much," Barney replied with a belch that also smelled heavily of liquor.

"Either way, you ruined the entire party, now either get out or Stuart will show you out," Ryan said angrily.

Barney, Lenny, and Carl quickly took Ryan's advice and began to walk out the door. It was best to stay out of this and go do something else, perhaps sober up Homer. Too bad Moe Syzlak wasn't around; he knew how to fix someone who was drunk like Homer. But Moe hadn't been in town for almost five years now, and they knew it was many more years before he would ever return.

"You can't make us leave, this is a free country and I can stare at all the girls I want," Homer said rather tipsily as he helped himself up.

"Homer don't!" Carl exclaimed as he ran forward to grab him.

"Let go of me black man, I can take Stuart on any day of the week," Homer said as he put up his fists.

Homer started to do a drunken dance around Stuart, his fists clenched at the ready. Barney, Lenny, and Carl only backed away, knowing full well what Stuart would do in a situation like this. It was best to stay out of it and live to fight another day. Homer did not even notice but continued to circle Stuart as if waiting for an opportunity to strike. Stuart only rolled his eyes and waited for Homer to do something stupid. That moment came when Homer threw his fist out at him; Stuart quickly grabbed it with one hand while hitting him below the belt with the other. Homer let out a pained yelp while he clutched his crotch with his free hand.

"Geeze, warn me next time!" Homer cried.

Stuart let out a small chuckle before grabbing Homer by the collar and dragged him outside while Homer tried to release himself from the football players grip. Finally, Stuart reached the front door and stood face to face with Homer who stared back at Stuart with drunken, yet very scared eyes.

"Looks like I can make you leave," Stuart said.

Then before Homer knew it, Stuart slammed his fist hard into Homer's right eye before throwing him out the door. Homer felt himself fly through the air for just a moment before landing heavily into some bushes and everything around him went black.

* * *

A/N: Alright not the best chapter in the world, but still sort of fun to write all the same. Yeah I injured Homer, again. Don't worry it's not as bad as what I have given him before, this is all tame stuff. And if you are wondering about Moe, he will show up but not until about chapter ten, you will see what he is up to.

Okay now I want to get something off my chest that has been bugging me and a few other writers on here. I decided that I should probably break this to the person in question so to those who do not call themselves The Simpsons Fan you may just scroll down and click on the review button to review because this is really just meant for The Simpsons Fan.

Now The Simpsons fan, CalculatedChaos, UndeadSamurai and I have been discussing and reading most of your reviews lately, truthfully they have been really getting on our nerves with the way you have been saying things, so this is what we have to say about all this, and I am going to number stuff just like you do.

1. First of all we cannot write as fast as you want us to write something. Writing is actually not as easy as it looks, it takes dedication and time to think up what we are writing so that we may give everyone something good to enjoy and remember for years to come. Some of us have jobs, some of us have school, and some of us have something called writers block where we have to think long and hard about what we should do with the next chapter. I for one have a job and go to school. I am currently getting ready for my senior audit so I can graduate and I am also starting up a resume to look for a job that goes with my degree. It's a long process and takes up most of my time, so writing sometimes has to wait, no matter how hard I want to do it. CalculatedChaos is looking for a job and he is trying to make a good story for all of us, I help him out from time to time and it gets frustrating seeing another review where you bitch and moan because he hasn't updated. UndeadSamurai is in school as well and he works long hours to get things done. So please, give us some slack and learn the value of patience, it's the greatest thing in the world, even better than love I think.

2. Please stop acting like you are the only person reading these things and telling us what to put into our stories or even telling us what stories we should be writing. We have our own ideas and if we do like a small suggestion someone makes (example: Bart's prank to Burns in Love Thy Neighbor) we try it out. If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work. Don't get upset over it.

3. Stop comparing other people's works to Love Thy Neighbor and Death of a Simpson, its rude. Yes it's probably not as good and yes they could do better but like I said earlier, writing takes practice it takes many years of skills to get something right. In fact we would love to see you try it just to see if you can pull something off.

4. Stop reviewing every time you reread something, you don't have to tell us every single time. Sure it gives us more reviews but truthfully there really is no point to it, just the same person telling us we are great and asking us questions that we have to answer in our review page which we hate doing because that is giving us more review for ourselves, the review page is not a forum. It's stupid. Get your own damn membership, it's not that bad, we can send you PMs and answer you that way.

5. Finally we have a button on our profile where we can disable anonymous reviews. So if you get any more annoying, we can simply press that button. I know it has looked mighty friendly lately to me, but I would hate to do it because there are other anonymous people out there who would still like to review, don't ruin it for everyone.

Alright I just wrote a whole page about that and that's probably enough now. In summary, tone it down a notch. Be excited about our stories, we like hearing what you have to think about them, but don't go overboard. If I sounded mean, well you brought this on yourself, we have been very patient with you for the last few months but our patience started to wear thin. Yeah I just broke my own rule saying that patience is awesome oh well.

As for the rest of you, thanks for being patient and giving us great reviews, you are all awesome. I will see you all when I can update again in the near future.


	4. Rejected

Walking home was definitely not something Homer enjoyed doing, yet tonight he felt it was a better option than riding back with Barney, Lenny and Carl. After all, it was their fault they got him drunk and he knew they were going to discuss it the entire drive home. Homer was so embarrassed by what happened, and just listening to them argue after he had regained consciousness a few moments after falling into the bushes was not something he wanted to handle at the moment. Besides, he had a splitting headache and he did not want to make it worse, even though he was walking down the sidewalk by himself in the middle of the night with a swollen eye and a cut on his cheek from landing in the bushes. But he tried to ignore it as he dragged his feet slowly along the sidewalk, every step seemed to be heavier than the last, but he didn't care, hell the gutter sounded nice tonight.

He had no idea what time it was, and after a while where the hell he was, he would find his home eventually, curl up in a ball and cry his heart out for being such an idiot, but for now he would just let his thoughts take over. It was a warm night and the breeze was not too strong, he would just think about his future, if the headache didn't overpower him first. He then began to feel dizzy again, like he had just before Stuart threw him in the bushes, and then exhaustion overcame him. Maybe he should have taken a ride home with the guys, just drown out what they were saying to him, he would be in his bed by now that was for sure. Homer stood there for a moment, wondering what to do. Should he just sleep in someone's bushes until morning? Or should he just keep going? If Marge cared about him right now, he knew he would be in good hands, if only though.

As he stood there, he heard the sound of a car engine heading his way; he looked up to see if it was anybody familiar. He knew the only cars that were out were the ones from the party; perhaps he could find a ride home. But then he realized that the car was going the other way, back in the direction of Ryan's house, that would be no help there. He watched it make his way past him and before the car was out of sight, he realized who it was. It was Artie Ziff's car and he was going home, he must have just dropped Marge off. Marge had to have lived somewhere in this vicinity.

As fast as he could, which was not very fast because of the state he was in, he walked down the sidewalk looking for the familiar house that he had visited once to pick up Marge for the prom. It had only been one month ago, yet he already forgot what it actually looked like. Well he was upset that night and a lot of things he tried to erase from his memory. Apparently the house was one of them. He made his way past a few more houses before finally deciding that he needed to sit down and let his headache go down a little, then he would try again if he could.

For a while, he sat on a curb and pulled at some flowers that were growing along the side, they didn't seem to be the ones that were supposed to grow there so he knew he was safe and he could stare at how pretty they were in the dark for as long as he wanted. He imagined Marge would like this flower, even if it was a weed, and he imagined that she would probably kiss him for actually bringing it to her. If they were together that was, Homer really hated how he did not win her over and tonight he knew there was no way she would try to talk to him again, not after what he had done. He knew it was hopeless, yet he still wanted to be part of her life, he wished he knew what to do.

"Hey! Sleazebag! Get off my curb!" An angry and gritty female voice called from behind him. He could smell cigarette smoke and already it was starting to bother his sinuses and make his headache feel worse.

"If you take out your cigarette I might," Homer replied as he tried to get up, unfortunately his legs wanted to stay put right where he was.

"Hey it's my yard I can do what I want, now move!" The voice said as she threw a heaping pile of garbage next to him.

Homer gagged from the smell and turned to see the woman in question who had just violated his senses even further. It didn't take him long to realize who it was, he remembered how both of them insulted him when he first came to the door to pick up Marge. Apparently he had found Marge's house without even trying.

"Hey you're one of Marge's twin sisters aren't you?" Homer asked.

Patty, the twin sister that Homer was referring too, let out gasp at what she saw of Homer, if there was anything worse than a hobo on her curb it was a drunk and injured hobo. "Wouldn't you like to know Quasimodo," Patty said in a very hurtful voice.

"Hey your no prize pig yourself, now is Marge your sister or not?" Homer asked.

"Why do you care?" asked Patty.

"Because I want to know that's why, does a guy really have to explain everything?" Homer asked as he grabbed his head from the throbbing pain from his headache.

"Yes, I wanna know why you are sitting on the curb here when clearly Marge has someone," Patty said.

"I know she does, and please don't argue with me, my head really hurts, please just let me talk to her," Homer said this time letting tears fall down his face from the agony.

Patty only grunted in annoyance before walking off, leaving Homer alone next to the horribly smelly trash bag. He wanted to get up and get away from it, but for some reason his whole body just wanted to stay put in that spot, sleep seemed to be the most important thought at the moment. But how could he if the trash bag next to him smelled so terribly? If only his friends were considerate enough to actually warn him about the dangers of whisky.

"Homer?" a voice that sounded almost heavenly to him called from behind.

Homer turned around, sure enough there was Marge still wearing the clothes she had worn at the party earlier. She had a look of concern on her face while Homer only stared back like a lost and alone puppy. Oh how he wished he could embrace her at that moment.

"Are you alright?" Marge asked as she bent down and touched Homer's swollen eye. Homer let out a hiss of pain.

"I don't know, my head hurts and I am exhausted," Homer replied sadly.

"Then why did you not go home with someone?" Marge asked.

"Because I didn't want to hear all about what I had done, I know it was stupid and I know what I did made everyone hate me even more. Plus I thought home was closer, but I guess not," Homer replied with a heavy sigh.

"Well you are definitely far from home, your house is at least ten minutes by car, I can't imagine how long by foot," Marge said. Homer stared back at her, hope filling his eyes, hoping that just this once she would take pity on him, help him get where he needed to be. It seemed to work though because a moment later Marge held out her hand which Homer gladly accepted. She helped him up and led him into her house.

As soon as they reached the door, they were greeted by both Patty and Selma, both smoking like a chimney and staring back at Homer with utter disgust. Marge pretended they were not there and walked right between them and into the house.

"So letting the prom spare into your house, I don't see this ending well," Patty said.

"Patty please, he's had a rough night, be nice," Marge said as she motioned for Homer to sit on the dining room table as she went to the kitchen to get some ice.

"He'll think you will want to date him now," Selma said.

"Then you will have two guys to worry about, but I can see Artie chasing him off, he looks like nothing but a pussy cat," Patty said in a mock tone as she stared at Homer. Homer only looked back at her, his hand on his sore head wishing that their horrible grating voices would stop.

Marge seemed to get this message because before she even got enough ice, she slammed the freezer door and backed out of the kitchen to stare at her two sisters, annoyed that they were voicing their opinion about something she was doing in order to be nice. They seemed to have gotten the message, they quickly ran upstairs and Homer heard their doors slam.

Homer let out a whimper and continued to rub his head. He looked over at Marge who's back was turned to him and putting ice in a plastic bag. His eyes then scanned away from her as he stared at the assorted knick knacks on the wall that her mother seemed to have collected over the years. They all seemed a bit much for the place, but then again he wasn't feeling his best so a lot of things probably didn't seem right, until his eyes met a picture over a mantel.

It was a painting of a sunset behind some mountains with water in the foreground, the colors for the sunset were a warm red, orange and a bit of purple, along with the yellow ray of the sun that was no longer above the horizon. The mountains had a small hint of snow on them while the water reflected the colors of the sunset above. There were images of birds flying into the sunset and as Homer continued to stare he noticed the signature at the bottom. Marge Bouvier '72.

"Marge! Did you really paint that?" Homer asked in the most animated voice since he had been invited into her house.

Marge moved forward with some ice and stared at the painting on the wall. "Oh that old thing, I did that freshman year in Mr. Tucker's class, the last year he taught us. He was such a good teacher; he inspired me to keep working at it, until he had that heart attack over the summer and Mr. Pauley took over."

"But Mr. Pauley hates everything, did you really listen to that old coot and just give up?" asked Homer as Marge handed him the bag of ice and some aspirin.

"Well whatever I did he didn't like, so I stopped trying and, well my art is just like any normal persons now," Marge replied with a sigh.

"But Marge, you have to try again. I don't know if it really is the headache talking and your art might not be as great as what I am seeing at the moment. But I think it's still worth it to try again. Paint something you've wanted to paint but can't because Mr. Pauley held you back, no one can ever stop you from doing what you love. You have a gift and you should use it."

Marge smiled back at Homer and patted him on his free hand. "You're really sweet Homer, but I don't know."

"Why not, you could study to be an artist," Homer replied as he swallowed the aspirin.

"Maybe, but Artie said I should probably…become an…uh…elementary school teacher," Marge stared back at Homer nervously, realizing she was talking about someone he did not care for.

"Why do you girls listen to everything your boyfriend says, you know we could be wrong sometimes," Homer said.

"I don't know, I guess we forget that there are other options, because we care about them and their opinions"

"Do you care about me and my opinions?"

Marge stared back at Homer, surprised that he had apparently talked her into a corner. For someone who was not feeling well, he sure knew what he was trying to ask for. He still seemed to care about her even though she had chosen Artie. But she knew she had to tell the truth to him, and no matter how she told it, she knew it would still break Homer's heart. She didn't want him to walk out the door that moment though; he needed to be home in a safer place than on the streets.

"Hrrrmmm…why don't we talk about this as I take you home," Marge said.

Marge had no problem bringing Homer home, hopefully Artie would not call her that evening like he occasionally did to talk to her about how much he liked her. Of course, there were fewer of those now that they both knew that they were really an item, yet Marge was still worried about what she was doing and she hoped to make this quick.

"Well do you have an answer for me yet?"

Marge was deep in thought as she was driving to Homer's place, so she had totally forgotten about the question. She had actually thought that Homer was taking a nap with the way he was laying his head, but it was probably the most comfortable position at the moment. Marge stared back at Homer, remembering the question but not sure how to answer it because Homer would badger her some more. But she knew there was no way out of this.

"Sure I care about your opinions," she replied.

"What about me then, do you care about me?" Homer asked.

Marge let out a sigh, she tried to avoid that part of the question but apparently Homer was not letting her. "Well I am helping you home tonight, that should tell you something shouldn't it."

"But do you like me?" Homer asked.

"As a person, yes."

There was a long pause, as if Homer was pondering the answer or maybe because he was just exhausted. Marge had no idea, but she continued to stare at the road, waiting for Homer to say something else. She knew they were closer to his house though, and then he would be out of her hair.

"What do you like about Artie any way?" Homer asked with only a few blocks to go. Of course he would ask that, the prom spare just would not let go of who she had chosen.

"Why do you care?" Marge asked in a voice that was as nice as possible.

"Because I care about you, I think you are the loveliest person I have ever met, from the moment I first laid eyes on you I wanted to be with you. You just have this charm in you that I can't seem to get out of my head even though you have someone, and it makes me sad that you chose him over me."

Marge pulled into the curb where Homer lived and stared at the young man who seemed so lost in a love that she could not commit for him. "Homer, I like Artie because he is a gentleman, he has always treated me with respect in the eight years I've known him. But you on the other hand I have only known for two months and you ruined a relationship with me just by keeping me up all night claiming to be in French class while I had a forensics meet in the morning. I did not even place in that meet and it was because of you. If I were you, I would have been considerate and at least found a different way to get to know me. Maybe took me out to dinner, or maybe even act like a gentleman around me. But unfortunately you didn't, and you paid the price."

Homer stared back at Marge, tears now forming in his eyes as he realized how stupid he was, he could have won her over in so many different ways, but instead lost in the dumbest way possible. As he stared back at her, he noticed her eyes didn't look mad at all, but seemed to be telling him that she hoped he understood what she was trying to say. He sort of did, and he wished he could find a way to make her fall for him one last time, but there was nothing he could think of, he blamed the headache. Finally he could not take it anymore and let himself out of the car.

"I just believed we were meant to be together…that's all," he said before closing the car door and walking away.

Marge watched him go, she knew she hurt him deeply and she sort of felt bad for doing it, but he just seemed too reluctant. Most men she had rejected before just let it be and went on with their lives, but not Homer, he seemed so passionate about her it almost scared her. She knew she had to tell him it was time to let go, but gently.

"Homer!" Marge called as Homer stood in front of his door.

Homer turned around and saw Marge walking toward him at a medium pace, as if it was not that important to talk about. He stayed where he was, the ice pack pressed against his sore eye while he waited for her to come to him.

"Homer, I know you care about me, but you can't spend the rest of your life thinking what might have been or you'll never know what could still be. You'll find who you are looking for one day, it might take a while but it will happen, you just got to let the thoughts in your head right now go. Finish school, decide what you want to do in life and just go for what you can. Don't just give up because you failed at it the first time, just try again and things will work out for you. Something usually happens for the better, so never give up, keep trying and you will succeed."

Marge then gave Homer a small pat on his shoulder before making her way back to her car. Homer watched her go, still saddened that she didn't want to work it out between them. He was remaining single for who knows how long now. But there was always hope.

"Well if anything happens, and you need someone to talk to, I am willing to listen, even if I'm not single anymore," Homer called out.

Marge stared at Homer for just a moment as she got into the car. Perhaps she would take his invitation into consideration, she doubted it though. She was happy with Artie and she knew she would be for years to come. She knew eventually she would lose contact of Homer, he was bound to leave his father for someplace else, but would both of them always stay in Springfield? Marge never wanted to leave, her parents were here and so were her sisters, it would just be too painful to leave. Homer seemed like a wandering spirit though and perhaps maybe one day he would explore farther away. But only time would tell. Finally she started her car and drove off without looking back.

Homer stood at his front door wondering if her car would return, if she had changed her mind. But it never happened. Homer let out a sad sigh and made his way into his house. He did not greet his father who was sitting on the couch watching a game; he only made his way up the stairs, entered his room, landed on his bed, and fell asleep instantly. It had been an emotional few hours, one that would haunt his memories for a long time, and little did he know that it would be the last time he saw Marge for a very long time.

* * *

A/N: I'm just gonna come right out and say it. Damn! This was actually hard! I was trying to write it in a way where Marge put Homer down that was in a kind enough way that would not hurt his feelings too much. I think I did okay, but I will let you all decide on that. In case you are wondering about the last sentence, it will be explained in the next chapter about what Marge is going to be up to, you probably all sense it already but you will see it when it happens.

Any way two things, first of all thank you Simpsons fan for your understanding, I like when confrontations turn out okay. I will be looking forward to your review. Secondly I thought it would be fun to share in case some of you were not aware, but in my profile I have four links from two different artists on Deviant Art. They were kind enough to draw scenes from Love Thy Neighbor, so if anyone wants to take a look feel free to.

Uh I think that's everything for now, please review when you can and have a great week everyone!


	5. Future Decisions

Artie stood alone in his room, staring at the two outfits he had taken out of his closet, wondering which one he would prefer to wear in Marge's presence. Nothing was really going on tonight, perhaps a movie, maybe a quick trip to the café for coffee but that was it, nothing spectacular. For some reason though, Artie always felt that he needed to look his best for Marge even if he was only going to her house to chat. So tonight it was either going to be the bellbottoms with the blue polo, or the bellbottoms with the long sleeved green shirt and the brown vest. Both seemed like a nice ensemble and continued to think which one would be better.

As he did so, the family tabby cat, Jasper leapt onto his bed and let out a faint meow. Artie stared at Jasper for a moment who was now sitting in front of both outfits, tail twitching while his eyes gave him that contented look most cats gave when nothing important to them was going on. Artie smiled at him; perhaps Jasper would help him decide.

"Well Jasper, what do you think?" Artie asked.

Jasper let out a purr before moving forward and sniffed both outfits before looking up at Artie with bright eyes. Artie gave Jasper a quick scratch on the ears until the cat moved forward and made himself comfortable on the long sleeved green shirt. Jasper apparently had made his decision.

"Well knowing that you left your cat hair on that outfit, I shall go with the blue polo," Artie replied as he put the shirt on while Jasper simply purred in amusement.

Now that Artie was finally ready for his evening with Marge, he made his way out of the room. The cat did not follow, he was happy to sleep on the outfit that Artie had left behind, he would go exploring later. As for Artie though, he made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen to grab his keys, but before he could even reach them, he was met by his brother Benjamin who was holding up a big envelope in front of him.

"Hey Bro, you got a package from Capitol City College," Benjamin said as he handed the envelope to Artie.

Benjamin, who preferred to be called Ben thank you very much, was three years younger than his brother Artie. Not as smart as he was and much more handsome, he barely looked like his older brother, his nose not as sharp and his hair shorter and saggy. Not in the afro like his eldest brother and he was a bit taller too. He was currently still in junior varsity of the baseball team at Springfield High and hoped to prove himself over the summer that he could make varsity level. He was surprised that his nerd of a brother now had a girlfriend, seeing as how he always had his nose in books and never really acted that charming, but whatever worked, a lot of surprising things happened during and after high school.

"Oh good, I was hoping it would finally come, hopefully this means I have been accepted," Artie replied as he grabbed the envelope out of his brothers hands and began to open up the letter.

"So does this mean I get the house to myself?" Ben asked as he watched Artie read the letter with fascination.

"Why Ben, are you planning on taking my room?" asked Artie.

"Of course not, what makes you think I want your room, I just want to hang here without you being here twenty-four seven," said Ben.

"Oh I know what you really want, to have parties here when mom and dad are away, well you know Benny, you could have done so even while I was here," Artie replied.

"Really?" Ben asked a bit surprised yet suspicious by what Artie just said.

"Of course, just as long as it was done by midnight maybe and no one entered my room to bother me," Artie said as he put the letter back into the envelope and tucked it under his arm.

"Oh always a catch, I could make the party go until seven in the morning with booze up the wazoo!" Ben said as he spread his arms out to show a point.

"Now now Benny, are you sure you want rectal cancer?" Artie asked as he began to walk out the door.

Ben only stared back at his brother, that probably explained his reasons for not being seen with a can of booze, even during his parent's parties. But Ben quickly shrugged it off and made his way up the stairs to his own room to gather his baseball equipment. It was time to do some practicing.

Artie made his way to Marge's house, humming along to Band on the Run and feeling a bit happier now that he had truly been accepted into the college he wanted to go to. He could break the good news to Marge and perhaps go out for a celebratory dinner where perhaps he could talk Marge into trying to apply for the school as well. It wasn't a hard school to get into, as long as the grades were good and he remembered Marge saying that she did have a 3.0 GPA when she graduated. He knew it would be hard for both of them to be separated for so long, Capitol City was hours away, making it impossible to leave for short periods to see family and girlfriends.

He pulled up to Marge's house and made his way to the front door, as usual one of the twins was there to greet him with a big smile on her face.

"Why hello handsome!" Selma exclaimed.

"Good evening…uh…" Artie was still very terrible figuring out which twin was which so he looked up at her with a sheepish grin.

"Selma," she replied.

"Yes Selma, is Marge ready for me?" Artie asked.

"She's actually waiting in the living room for you," Selma said as she moved out of the way for Artie.

Artie stepped inside and soon found Marge sitting in the living room next to her mother waiting for him. She let out a happy smile when she saw him before jumping up and giving him a big hug.

"So are you in the mood for going out tonight?" Artie asked once she let go of his embrace.

"I am slightly in the mood for some good pasta at Basiles; you know the one downtown by the harbor with the amazing breadsticks?" Marge asked.

"I do and that does sound good, are you ready to go now?" Artie asked.

"Sure thing, just let me get my shoes on," Marge replied as she ran upstairs to grab a pair of shoes. Artie stood there and waited, he knew she would not be long.

Marge was very quick, and soon Artie was driving Marge down the road and toward their dinner for the evening. Artie decided to keep the conversations light while driving; he wanted to save what he wanted to say to her until they got there. He knew a quiet dinner was not as fun as one where you discussed things before the meal arrived. So instead they engaged in small talk. Marge told Artie that her father was flying to New York that evening with his steward job and would not return until Sunday evening after flying to Miami, Atlanta, and Sacramento. A few weeks ago, her father returned with a little souvenir from Baltimore for Artie, a silly little magnet that said "I got crabs, and they were delicious." from a seafood restaurant by the harbor. It was an odd gift but still sort of fun to have and put on the dresser. The refrigerator just didn't seem like the right place for it.

It wasn't long though before they finally reached their destination and Artie brought Marge into the restaurant where they were promptly seated, which was surprising since it was a Friday night. Both took their seats and studied the menu before Artie decided it was time to start discussing his future.

"Guess what Marge?" Artie said as he took out the envelope.

"Oh did you get accepted into something?" asked Marge as soon as she saw the envelope.

"I did, Capitol City College to be exact, the one with the wonderful technology department," Artie said excitedly.

Marge grabbed the envelope and looked at the brochure they had given him. It was such a nice looking school, not the most well established school in the country but still one that was worthy of going to. Its technology department was one of the best, and it also had a great biology and communications department as well. The only problem was that she knew it was far away and she was not sure how she could deal with seeing Artie so little.

"So you really want to go here?" Marge asked with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I do Marge, and I can tell you are not very thrilled, but let me explain. Have you decided on a college to go to?" asked Artie.

"No I was actually thinking about finding employment for a year, you know just to help my parents with the college tuition, college is definitely not cheap," Marge replied.

"There is that, but you can always do student loans, we can both go to school together, me and you for four years. We could help each other study, enjoy the sights of Capitol City and come home when we get a bit homesick," Artie said.

"Hmmmm, I don't know Artie," Marge said nervously as she looked down at her utensils.

Artie noticed how Marge seemed very reluctant about going to college right away. He knew it had to do with her family, she never strayed far from them and he noticed how she was always so close. She was always helping them when they needed her especially when her father was flying all over the country. Carefully Artie took one of her hands and stared back at her with a concerned face.

"You don't want to leave your family do you?" Artie asked.

"…No, and I'm still not sure what I want to do with my life," Marge replied.

Artie stared back at Marge, that was a predicament and a choice that she had to make on her own. Of course he suggested that she become a teacher a few weeks back just because she had a way with explaining things and had such great patience. Of course she was reluctant then, maybe her mind could change. But then he also noticed how amazing she was at painting. He remembered staring at the sunset picture in the dining room that she painted, he never complimented on it but he always liked it. But of course artists never really had the best jobs; it really was a tough decision.

"So you don't want to try for a teaching career?" asked Artie.

"I could try for that, but if I did, I think I would want to be an art teacher," Marge said.

Artie raised an eyebrow, that had to be a good job for her; she had to try it out, just as long as he could persuade her to leave her family for four years.

"Why not study that in Capitol City while I get my technology degree? I hear they have a great teaching department," Artie said.

"I know Artie, it even says it right here. It's just the idea of leaving the only home I've known for eighteen years for so many months and not seeing my family for that long. I get so anxious when my father is coming home in a few days, its nuts! I can't imagine what that will be like in the weeks and months while I'm gone," Marge said.

"But I'll be there for you, to help you cope and calm you down when times are hardest for you. All of us have to leave our family eventually and the longer you wait, the harder it gets," Artie replied as he continued to pat her now shaking hand hoping she would understand and make the right decision.

Marge stared back at Artie, her eyes bright with worry and feeling very unsure about herself. She did care about Artie, but was she willing to sacrifice four years with this man? She had dated other men in the past and they had tried to get her to follow in their ways. She remembered one boy in particular about a year ago, one that she really cared about, until she caught him with several other boys behind the school gym, shooting heroin. He had always told her he loved her to death, to prove it she told him to never do it again. He said he promised, and Marge believed him until she made a surprise visit to his house one day. He was doing it again and Marge ran out the door with tears in her eyes. He tried to talk her back into the relationship, even going as far as slapping her in the face for saying that it was over. But Marge knew better, even after being slapped she said goodbye while her ex yelled obscenities at her until she was out of earshot. She did not want to end up in an abusive relationship like that, especially one who went back on his promises. That boy did not return to high school the next year, and Marge believe he either went to another school or dropped out, it was good riddance either way.

Was Artie like any of these men? So far he didn't show the same characteristics, that was good so perhaps she could trust him. She enjoyed his company immensely, he was always so helpful, and was willing to do anything she asked or didn't ask which was usually the case. And as she thought about it, she realized it was probably better to study for four more years, instead of looking for a job right away and most likely flipping burgers. A job that her sister Patty had already endured, a job that she heard never made you successful unless you owned the place. Studying for a few more years actually sounded better; at least you did not smell like a fryer when you returned from class.

"You're right, it's probably best not to wait," Marge finally replied.

"So you want to join me?" Artie asked a bit excitedly while also trying to chew on some bread.

Marge nodded. "But as long as you help me talk to my parents about it as well, I've already told them I might be seeking employment instead of going to college. They were really up on the idea, but now it has changed and I really don't know how they will handle it."

"I'm sure they will be fine," Artie smiled.

And just like that, the conversation ended, perfect timing too now that their dinner had finally made it to the table. Artie knew that Marge's parents would agree on it, they would understand everything and let her go. They knew it was time just like him; Marge needed to start moving out on her own. With any luck, in a few years their love would blossom and grow into something Artie believed would happen one day, marriage.

* * *

A/N: Well chapter five is finally completed for you guys, I know it was boring and that it sucked but hey at least I tried. I know it was a long delay but that's what happens when you are stressed out, you just can't write, or at least I can't. Plus I then got a bit depressed and all worrying about my grades and what will happen to me in these coming months, I almost wanted to stop writing. But I am starting to feel better; I'll feel even better once I see my grades. My semester is finished and even perhaps my years in college, I know I got a good grade in one of my classes; I just have to wait to find out about the other one. If it's what I need then I graduate in a week so cross your fingers if that happens, I really want to finish college. It's time to end those years of writing essays and taking tests, it's time to start life in the real world.

And finally one more thing, to Simpsons fan, I noticed you asked Shoz if I sent him or her a message about how annoying you are. Just to set something straight, I did not, in fact I did not send anyone that message. You've actually been better since what I told you in chapter 3, and besides I am not that heartless, I would not send a ton of stranger's messages about the way you review. Instead it's best to discuss this matter to the person in question. I think Shoz just wanted to know that you were the same person who reviewed me; I'm not a hundred percent sure why though. Also please remember that I am a girl, it's kind of annoying seeing as how you refer to me as a he. I always thought it was a bit obvious, but that's just me. Oh and please don't read Memoirs of a Blue Bird, that story sucks so much.

Any way sorry about the long rant everyone, thanks for taking the time to read. Please review if you feel the need.


	6. Late for the final

Homer sat quietly in the middle of the classroom, surrounded by students who were only taking the algebra class in the summer because they were smart and were planning on taking much harder classes while attending high school. He felt so old around all of them, especially one kid in particular, a freshman named John Frink who was the biggest brainiac he had ever met, even smarter than Artie Ziff. It made him glad to see someone smarter than that know-it-all and was nerdy enough not to have a girlfriend.

He was the only one from his senior class retaking it in hopes of graduating. So far, he had done well in his homework assignments, his grades on his tests could have been better though. He blamed that on the fact that since there was only three months in these classes, everything was going by much faster, so it was harder to learn in such a short amount of time.

Miss Swartzski was teaching him once again and Homer dreaded every day coming here. Miss Swartzski was never afraid to assign heavy amounts of homework and on occasion start a pop quiz. Frink of course was the only one who loved getting pop quizzes and wasn't afraid to show how smart he was by waving the graded paper at the class for all to see. Everyone of course rolled their eyes as they prepared for the new subject that they were being taught that day.

But besides taking a large amount of homework home every day, Homer still had Remedial Science to worry about, which was also getting a large amount of homework from Mr. Randall. But Homer was determined to finish high school and he would spend many hours at night finishing both assignments, sometimes waking up in the morning on his desk with drool all over it and a large spiral mark on his cheek after sleeping on his notes. He had no time to spend with Barney and his job had to wait until after he was done with school since the weekends were filled up to study. Abe was not fond of this; he wanted his son to get a job so he could get out of the house sooner, but apparently his only son was taking his sweet time with that and making it quite difficult for that dream to be accomplished.

But Homer tried his best; so far he was retaining a B average in Remedial Science, but a C average in Algebra, he had to be careful with that one. One minor slipup and things could go downhill very fast. He also had to make sure he got on Miss Swartzski's good side; she always seemed to be looking for an excuse to make his life miserable whenever possible. He could not wait for the class to finally be over, then he could at least say he finished high school, maybe one day college, but not in the near future.

So Homer sat there listening to the teacher, wishing he had had better things to do like working or chilling with Barney at his house maybe watching a movie or just chatting about random things. Things that would be more fascinating than algebra and would not require more than a few brain cells to discuss since it was only drivel. But drivel that both he and his friends believed made enough sense to make the day fun and enjoyable, not like this stupid class.

What sucked even more was that the class hadn't even started yet; he was only sitting there waiting patiently for Miss Swartzski to start as the class began to walk in. She was sitting at her desk scribbling something, her wrinkled jowls swinging back and forth to the movement of her writing, almost like silly putty or goo left on a railing to fall slowly to the ground. Only this type would not do so for another ten years, if she lived long enough for that at least.

Finally after several minutes of waiting, Miss Swartzski, left her chair and moved to the front of the class eyeing everyone in the room with an angry fierceness. Her upper lip quivered and her hands tightened their grip on her pointing stick that she used to usually get a student's attention. For a long moment she stared at the students with a heavy fierceness before finally speaking.

"Today I am going to teach you in a different style, something you all have not done in many years. Why am I doing this you may ask? Well it's because I like to see how well you all can handle pressure. You need it for the real world. Especially you, Homer Simpson!" Miss Swartzski said as she pointed her stick at Homer.

Homer stood still in his seat, unable to move and wondering what horrible plan Miss Swartzski had put on him. He looked around the room while Miss Swartzski made it up to the board and began scribbling something on it. For a few seconds Homer waited, until Miss Swartzski turned around and motioned him forward.

Homer got up and slowly walked to the board, everyone watching him with great curiosity and Miss Swartzski standing beside the board tapping her foot and waiting for Homer to come up and solve the problem. Once Homer reached the board, he grabbed a piece of chalk and stared at the mathematical problem that Miss Swartzski had given him to solve. All he could see were a jumble of numbers, along with some letters that looked like they belonged in a fraternity in college. For a long time he stared, unsure how to solve the problem until Miss Swartzski finally lost her patience and hit Homer on the head with her stick.

"Mr. Simpson, don't tell me you don't know how to solve angle sum relations, one of the most important trigonometric formulas, I have been teaching you this formula for weeks now!" Miss Swartzski said with an angry growl.

"Uhh…I thought this was algebra?" Homer said in a confused voice.

"You thought this was algebra? Where have you been in the last month? Visiting La La land no doubt," Miss Swartzski replied.

"No I swear, you were teaching us how to solve A + B, not how many kegs the fraternity house has drunk," Homer said.

"Ah but this is not about the fraternity house Mr. Simpson," said Miss Swartzski.

"Then what is it about you old hag?" Homer asked angrily.

Miss Swartzski backed away in surprise for a moment, she could not believe Homer Simpson had just said that to her. But no matter, she had him in the palm of her hands now. "What this is about Mr. Simpson is whether or not you really want to put that pig in a blanket while you leave the whale on the roof."

Homer stared back at Miss Swartzski, eyebrow raised and wondering how she had lost her mind in the few minutes he had been standing up there staring at the strange numbers he was not smart enough to solve. Numbers that now seemed to be melting off the blackboard and onto his new converse shoes. What the hell was happening here?

"Do you want to finish high school or do you want to become a circus clown?" Miss Swartzski asked.

"Uhh well being a circus clown right now sounds better than solving this goop," Homer replied.

"Then here, have a pie in the face," Miss Swartzski replied.

Homer looked up just long enough to see Miss Swartzski throw a custard pie straight at his face.

* * *

Back in reality, Homer awoke with a start. The sudden pie to the face was only a dream, along with the horrible trigonometry puzzle he had never seen before. He let out a heavy sigh and lay his head back on his pillow, he knew he had to get up soon; he had an algebra final today. Hopefully it was algebra, that dream really scared him silly now, he suddenly felt like he had forgotten everything, but he had spent all weekend studying hard for it, hopefully a quick glance would refresh his memory.

Homer picked up his notebook he left on the floor near his bead and stared at the problems he had been solving all night and day. They were still familiar to him, thank goodness, there was hope for him yet, he could finally finish school. With a heavy sigh he turned to his clock to check the time to see how much longer he could get some shuteye, apparently he woke himself up before the clock did, a rare feat for him to do. He turned to the clock and jumped in surprise. Either the clock was wrong, or he had slept in on the day of the final.

This was not good at all, if that was the case he was now up thirty minutes later than he should be, he had no time for a hearty breakfast and no time for a quick shower to wake himself up. He had to be at the school in ten minutes to get to the final on time and Miss Swartzski was not kind to those who showed up late for a test. As quickly as he could, he put on a pair of pants and a shirt, combed his hair and ran out the door and into the kitchen where his father was busy reading the morning newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee. Ignoring him, Homer put on his shoes as quickly as he could, of course though this was not without Abe noticing.

"What's the hurry son?" Abe asked.

"I'm late for class, I have to be there in ten minutes," Homer said as he struggled to get one shoe on.

"So you'll be a couple of minutes late, no big deal," Abe said as he continued to stare at the newspaper.

"It is a big deal Dad, today is my final and I have to be there on time, I told you that last night that its finals week, I will finally finish high school, remember?" Homer replied.

Abe set down his newspaper for a moment before taking a quick sip of his coffee and staring off into space, almost like he was trying to remember every event that went on the day before. "Oh yeah, if you pass this means you will finally be out of my hair. You better get to school on time then, don't want to disappoint your old man by living in my basement for the rest of your life."

Abe then turned back to his newspaper and took another sip of coffee, while Homer rolled his eyes as he grabbed a quick drink from the refrigerator. He then started running out the door.

"Thanks for the support there Dad!" Homer said sarcastically as he slammed the door behind him. Abe simply turned the pages pretending nothing had happened only a few seconds ago.

Driving to school was never easy on a Monday morning, everyone was in a hurry to go to work and the stop lights always seemed to stop you at the right moment. Homer knew this and he of course was in the middle of it all, getting more agitated every second he was at a red light. He knew he was going to be late but he hoped that Miss Swartzski would give him some wiggle room to slide in and start the test a bit late. He hoped and that was what made him continue to the school, as long as he tried he would at least finish his studies.

He was eight minutes late when he finally reached the school, he parked in his usual spot and got out of his car with lightning speed before running toward the door as fast as he could. He passed Principal Dondelinger, who yelled at him to not run down the hall, but Homer paid him no heed, he kept running as quickly as he could before finally sliding to a stop in front of the door to Miss Swartzski's class. Feeling relieved that he finally reached his destination he took a quick sigh before opening the door.

To his horror though the doorknob would not turn, it had been locked shut. This could not be happening! Homer peeked into the door and saw the class taking the test and Miss Swartzski at her desk, her old wrinkly nose in some book and paying no attention to anything else. Someone could easily cheat if they wanted to. He knew he had to get her attention though and as softly but loud enough to hear, he knocked on the door. It was enough for Miss Swartzski to lift up her head and stare at Homer who was looking at her pleadingly to let him in. For a long time she only stared, her jowls making her look angrier than normal. The class had now stopped what they were doing and were looking up at Homer knowing full well what the outcome was probably going to be.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Miss Swartzski left her seat and made her way to the door. But instead of letting him in, she stepped out of the class and stood in front of the door, glaring at Homer in a way that made him back away.

"Can I help you?" she asked with a sneer.

"Uhhh…I'm here to take the test," Homer said with a nervous grin.

"You are aware that the test started ten minutes ago?" Miss Swartzski asked.

"I am ma'am, my alarm did not go off and I tried to get here as soon as I could, I'm only ten minutes late," Homer replied.

"But what did I say about coming to the final late?" Miss Swartzski asked.

Homer gulped, he knew full well what Miss Swartzski had said, yet he really did not want to repeat it. It seemed more like a death sentence to him now than anything else. He looked up at her pleadingly but she only stared back with angry eyes like a hungry hawk.

"Well?" she asked.

Homer let out a deep sigh and began to speak. "Failure to show up for the test once it has been distributed, even if I am at home hugging the toilet or dying in a hospital bed means automatic…failure on the final. No ifs…ands…or…buts," Homer finally replied.

"And since you are ten minutes late this means…?" Miss Swartzski asked.

"…That I have failed the final," Homer responded dejectedly as he stared down at the floor.

"Good, now get out of my sight," Miss Swartzski said with such hate that Homer cringed at the sound.

"Can't you reconsider at all, I worked hard in that class, I did better than during the actual school year, don't you think you can give me a little wiggle room especially since I am supposed to be graduating," Homer pleaded.

Miss Swartzski said nothing but slammed the door behind her, leaving Homer standing in front of the door feeling very rotten and unhappy with the outcome just now. He could not believe someone could be that cruel and vicious. It was totally unfair, he wanted to graduate, he did not want to wait another year just to do so. He did not want to shame his father, he wanted to show his father he could do something right and he knew he could settle this if he went to the right person. And the only person he could think of to help him right now was Principal Dondelinger.

At least he hoped so any way as he made his way down the hall toward the old principal's office. He knew he had to be there, he nearly ran him over as he ran to the classroom, hopefully he wasn't leaving for the day even though it was still early in the morning. But he would find out soon, Dondelinger was actually standing out in the hall conversing with Homer's old freshman English teacher. He stopped in front of them, waiting for both to stop talking and not wanting to interrupt, he probably angered Dondelinger enough today. Luckily for him, both stopped talking and stared back at Homer curiously.

"Simpson! What was the hurry this morning?" Dondelinger asked.

"I was late for my algebra final but now Miss Swartzski won't let me take it, is there anything you can do?" Homer asked nervously.

Dondelinger nodded to the English teacher, who got the message that he needed to leave for a moment. Dondelinger then opened his office door and motioned for Homer to enter. Homer went in with Dondelinger behind him. He shut the door and went over to his desk.

"You were late this morning?" Dondelinger asked.

"Yes sir, by eight minutes, my alarm didn't go off," Homer replied as he twiddled his fingers.

"That's not too bad, even for you," said Dondelinger.

"I know, and I really tried to be here on time but you know how traffic is here in this town," Homer said.

"Oh I do indeed," Dondelinger replied.

"So is there any way you can talk some sense into Swartzski?" Homer asked with a pleading glance.

"I could try, don't know if I can though, I know her rule for the final, you have to be there on time or get an automatic zero. I never liked that rule, happened to me once in college, almost punched the professor in the face for it," Dondelinger replied.

"Then you know what it's like to be told that you have failed the class just for being late!" Homer said.

"I do indeed, but the rules are rules, Simpson I'm sorry," Dondelinger said.

Homer sat there staring into the man he often gave hell to over his four years in high school. He could not believe that even though he had gone through the same thing himself he was not going to help him in any way. It was really unfair and he wanted to cry, but he knew better than doing that, crying was for sissies and he had to be a man to find his way out of this. But then he thought about something, he had given the man hell for four years, could he stand another year of Homer Simpson's antics. He was going to find out.

"Principal Dondelinger, I'm surprised you won't help, after all, if I fail this class, it means you have to endure another year with me, another year of my annoying antics, another year of giving me detention, and another year of having to see my handsome face roaming the halls. Do you want that?" Homer asked.

Dondelinger stared at Homer who was looking back with a raised eyebrow and a hopeful look in his eye, a look he knew all too well. Homer was right though, another year? Heaven forbid, his hair was graying and going bald just by keeping this young man in line.

"I'll be right back," he finally said before leaving the office while Homer stayed in his seat by himself.

He waited for quite a while, long enough to lose track of time and make Homer wonder where he ran off to. Was Dondelinger really going to help him? Was he really going to help him pass or at least get a descent grade so he could move on in life? Or was he really only wandering the halls pretending to help him? Homer had no idea; all he could do was sit there and hope that something good would come out of this. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Dondelinger returned looking a bit annoyed but also holding a piece of paper in his hand. Homer looked at it wondering what it was, could it really be the final he had come all this way to finish? He did not get the answer until Dondelinger was fully seated and looking Homer squarely in the eye.

"Even for me it's hard to get that woman to take my advice, even though I warned her you would have to come back. But I finally got her to change her mind, congrats Simpson, you may take the final.

Homer stared at the piece of paper that was now lying in front of him, all the problems neatly laid out for him to answer and finish. Was he dreaming or was this really happening? He could not believe how quickly his luck had changed. He now had tears falling down his face, and before he knew what he was doing, he was hugging Dondelinger tightly while the old principal did his best to pry the annoying pupil off of him.

"You're welcome but don't make me change my mind Simpson, you must stay in here, once you are done, hand it back to me and I will deliver it personally. Is that understood?" Dondelinger asked.

"Yes Sir," Homer replied as he wiped the tears of joy from his eyes.

"Good, now get cracking," Dondelinger said gruffly.

Homer said nothing more but started on the final that he was almost doomed to not take. Thank God for being the most annoying student at Springfield High four years running. It felt great! It felt amazing! He was finally going to finish school.

* * *

A/N: Reviews make my heart sing and my spirit soar.

Ahem sorry about that, finally finished this chapter after almost another month long wait. I got busy with work mainly, also was too tired to want to write, and for a few days was in one of those girly moods, you know the one. I also didn't really want to write this chapter because I almost had a similar experience like this about two months ago, it wasn't a test though, it was mainly about a grade I got a few semesters ago, but that was all taken care of. I am finished with school altogether, I now have a bachelors in Geography and Environmental Studies! But now I have to find a real job so this should be interesting, please cross your fingers, pray, or whatever you can do that I can find one. But I do have some free time now so you will see more updates from me, ones that don't take as long as they have been.

Also before I forget, as I have been mapping out this story I have noticed that this is more of Homer's story. Homer will be the main character in here; Marge won't be seen a lot, just during important moments. She will show up more in later chapters when things get more heated and interesting. So enjoy Homer's random adventures.

That's all for now, please review when you find the time, I will hopefully update again in a week.


	7. Searching for Love in a bowling alley

Homer finished his final two classes with great success. He was able to pass remedial science with a B, while in Algebra; he was able to pass with a solid C. He knew he probably did better than that, but he also knew that Miss Swartzski lowered his grade because of his tardiness. But he did not complain, he passed and he was done with High School!

Homer received his diploma in the mail a few weeks afterward; he came home from working at the bowling alley to find it sitting on the coffee table while his dad congratulated him on finally succeeding in something. Because of this, Homer felt very proud of himself and even had a party with Barney, Lenny, Carl and a new kid he worked with at the bowling alley, Roger Steinbeck, no relation to John Steinbeck gosh darnet! Homer had the party at his house; amazingly it was Abe's idea to let them do it. Though afterward he regretted it after they partied until four in the morning. He awoke to find his son sleeping on the coffee table still clinging to a bottle of booze that Abe swore he thought had kept well hidden in his secret compartment in the kitchen. The other boys were all strewn across the floor including one girl who apparently snuck in a few hours after he tried to go to sleep. Her name was Rosie Garner, Rogers's girlfriend and apparently they had a swell enough time together that night. He found the dirty condom hanging on one of the dining room chair points.

Now that Homer had had his party, and that he was now working hard at the bowling alley, Abe believed that it was time for his son to move out on his own. A week later, Homer and Barney were sharing the same apartment and spending their days off either watching sitcoms or going out with Lenny and Carl to the movies or to some popular nighttime attractions.

Of course Homer still missed Marge, he often found himself thinking about her on slow days at work or when he was having trouble sleeping at night. He had no idea why she stayed in his thoughts like that, and often wondered if he would ever find a girl to be with. Sometimes he would find himself watching the girls bowl at work and some were attractive enough to want to be with, but he never found the desire to actually ask them out like he had done with Marge. He knew she was in Capitol City now with Artie, Lenny told him since he and Artie were really good acquaintances. He sometimes wondered how she was doing up there and if she was doing well in her studies. Artie probably taught her how to do that well.

It was an unusually warm day for a February, and unusually busy for a bowling alley when it was warmer than usual for a winter day. It had been a few days past since Valentine's Day and Roger was finally returning from a quick trip to a nice hotel with Rosie to come back to work. Homer knew he would be talking all about his great time and as he thought about what Roger would say, his mind began to wander again at the thought of having a girl of his own.

But that quickly changed when the door to the bowling alley swung open and an angry Roger burst through the doors, followed by Rosie who looked just as angry. He watched as Roger made his way to the back room, Rosie calling out to him through the doorway. Homer and Barney both listened in wonder at what was going on, it sounded like a commitment problem with the way Rosie was telling it, but it was hard to be sure. Finally after about five minutes of her yelling through the doorway, Barney's Uncle Al arrived and herded her out the door while Roger watched from a few feet away. Once she was gone, Al returned and stared at Roger with an annoyed look in the eye.

"Thanks for bringing me back to those warn torn years where I had to endure agony like that," Al said sarcastically.

"Sorry sir, but you knew that would happen eventually when you hired young adults to work in your bowling alley," Roger replied.

"Indeed I did, just don't let it happen again, it's a good thing bowling balls are loud enough to drown the noise of raging hormones," Al replied before slipping into the backroom.

Roger let out a sigh and made his way up to the cash register with Homer and Barney, who were both staring at him with a curious eye. For a long moment, Roger said nothing but decided to put some deodorizer into the rental shoes. He soon realized he was the only one doing work when a customer came up to return the shoes.

"What? Is only one person working today or something?" asked Roger.

"No offense Roger, but watching Rosie yell at you like that makes me glad I don't have a girl," Barney replied.

"Yeah that comes with the package deal, after more than a year, the love life starts to fade and the more you want to be with your guy friends, the more she gets pissed that you don't want to be around her as much," Roger replied.

"So I'm guessing Valentine's Day was a bummer?" Homer asked.

"Eh sort of, the room we rented wasn't as nice as it should have been and the morning breakfast was subpar, but it could have been worse and I did tell her that. She of course thought I did that on purpose so now she wants a do over the next chance we get. Good luck with that honey, because that was an expensive Valentine's gift," Roger said.

"But you still care about her right?" asked Homer.

"Oh of course, when she's not angry, she has this wonderful personality that makes you glad to have a girl like that. One that you can think about all the time and wonder what the future holds between the both of us." Roger let out a sigh and smiled happily as he stared at both Barney and Homer. "One day when I get enough money, I will ask her the big question, just not right now, marriage is a big commitment and I don't really have that yet. But what about you guys, I know you both are single, but have you both ever found a girl?"

"I had one in freshman year, but she had to move to another state, I bet it would have lasted longer if she stayed longer," Barney replied. Homer remembered her; she was a really nice girl too, perfect for Barney. But of course it could not last, her father was transferred to another state and poor Barney spent weeks moping about trying to be comforted by both Homer and Moe. Time finally healed him though and he was soon back to his old self, causing mischief in the school with Homer.

"Ah yes, the dreadful move, I had that happen to me a year before I met Rosie. It was for the better though, she and I were starting to get on each other's nerves. But what about you Homer?" Roger asked.

Homer knew his time was coming, and knew that Roger would be shocked by the fact that he never had anyone. But perhaps he could help, especially someone who had been through so many different relationships.

"Well…I almost had one once,…but she realized she didn't like me and went out with another guy to the prom," Homer said nervously.

Roger stared at Homer for a moment, for some reason he was not surprised. Homer just did not seem like the kind of guy who could impress a woman very easily. But with the right way of showing him, perhaps he could. "Well I've known a few people your age who never had a girl so there really is no shame. You just got to know how to make the right moves. I can help you with that if you like, especially now since you are working at a bowling alley with lots of interesting faces."

Homer stared at Roger for a moment, sure he had a lot of girls in his day, but did he really know how to get the right one for him? Truth be told, Homer wanted to find the girl on his own, that way he knew he picked the right girl. But perhaps Roger could help him find the right one or at least help him practice. "Uhhh…sure," he finally replied after thinking it through. Roger immediately jumped at his agreement.

"Alright, now what better way to find someone than right here where you work? You get a perfect view of all twenty lanes and who is playing on them. There are groups of friends young and old who come out to play, some have somebody, others don't. So go ahead, pick a lane see if you see anyone nice," Roger said as he brought Homer over to the section just outside of the bowling area.

Homer scanned the lanes, six of them were unoccupied but the rest of the place was busy with people having fun and scoring the perfect game. Of course bowling a three hundred was rare with the younger groups, and usually it happened on league night. But he would not worry about that right now; he had to find any lucky girls who were willing to go out with him. He first came to one section of the alley; a group of young high schoolers were enjoying the game and making fun of whoever missed the perfect bowl. He watched them, thinking they had to be at least a year or two younger than him. That probably didn't matter, not too old or young was not bad at all. He saw one girl in particular who had just finished bowling and high fived the other girls. There seemed to be no guy with her, that was a plus.

"What about that one who just bowled?" Homer asked.

Roger stared at the girl for a moment, studying her ways before responding. "Oh definitely not!"

"How come?" Homer asked.

"Well if you look closely she has that, I have the most wonderful boyfriend in the world walk. One that says, touch me and you will have to meet his fist," Roger replied.

Homer stared at her, she did seem to have that look, but he at first read it as one where she thought she was prettier than everyone in the room. Of course her boyfriend probably told her that, so of course she would believe it. Good thing Roger was there to keep him from stepping any further. The best thing he could do now was continue his search.

He looked at the lanes again, searching for a girl who looked alone and needed someone to share thoughts and dreams with. That's what he knew he wanted, someone to share his thoughts, hopes, and dreams. Someone who would laugh at his jokes and enjoy his company. Marge was like that the night she taught him French, it made him happy and made him feel like they were meant for each other, until he decided to be truthful with her. But that was important in a relationship, being truthful and thoughtful of course. Because of these thoughts, Homer searched the lanes for Marge and of course came up empty once he remembered where she was now. He finally settled on a girl in lane ten with a bunch of other girls and a few guys. She was thin, hair down to her shoulders, and had a friendly looking face. One that made him walk up to her without asking Roger for advice.

She had just finished bowling and was sitting beside another friend as he walked up to her. Since he worked at the alley, he knew he could strike up a quick conversation with them. One that made him sound businesslike but could be able to change the subject at a moment's notice. They saw him approach and both stared at him as he walked over wondering if they had done anything wrong.

"Is there anything you lovely ladies need, anything at all?" Homer asked, in the same manner that he would no league nights to the old ladies with carpal tunnel syndrome.

"Oh no thank you, we are quite good, aren't we Rachel?" the girl Homer liked said.

"Oh yes definitely," Rachel replied with a smile. She had short hair, about medium size and also a friendly looking face but one that made him turn away from her. It was her nose, it looked more bulbous than normal and it bothered him. So Homer continued to stare at the other girl.

"So not thirsty or anything? No curly fries? Perhaps maybe…a date?" Homer asked.

Homer knew it somehow didn't work by how both began to giggle, Homer felt very embarrassed now and started backing away to where Roger was waiting for him to come back. But both quickly got up and confronted him.

"Don't worry, that was a nice try, and if I didn't have a boyfriend, I would go out with you. He's not here that's why you haven't seen me with him," said the girl he was interested in.

"And I just got over a really bad relationship so I need to take a break for a while," said Rachel.

"It was too emotional for her," the girl replied with a worried look, one that seemed to say "feel for her dummy."

"Oh I'm sorry, I hope everything works out for you then," Homer replied trying to sound sympathetic for Rachel and her big nose.

"That's nice of you thanks, if I ever come in here though and feel the need I will be looking for you," Rachel said.

"Sure thing," Homer replied before walking back to Roger who was waiting patiently for him to return. He made a grossed out look at Roger who of course stared back at him curiously.

"Didn't work I take it?" asked Roger.

"No, the one I liked has a boyfriend, and the other…well…that nose really bothers me," Homer replied.

Roger looked over Homer's shoulder at Rachel who was now discussing something with another girl. He squinted and stared long enough for Rachel to get the feeling of being watched and looked up just in time for Roger to turn back to Homer with confused expression.

"I think you are right, that is an odd schnoz," Roger replied.

"She just got over a bad relationship, told me she might be interested one day, I just think her whole nose will be the center of conversation when she is not around," Homer said.

"Yeah no kidding, but you did well, see if you can try another," Roger said as he looked around the alley again with Homer. Homer of course did the same looking around once again for a likely candidate to bring him out of the feeling of loneliness. After a moment, he came across another lane with two younger kids but one older adult with them, a female of course. He studied her for a bit, she looked to be about his age, with a kind face and an average body. Her hair was longer than he had seen on other girl's hair, he found that kind of attractive, especially with the way it moved back and forth on her back. It was kind of a turn on. She couldn't be the kid's mother, she looked too young to be, she had to be their sister or cousin or something. Maybe this could be the one.

"What's a good thing to say to someone you are interested in?" Homer asked.

"Hmm, well you do need a line that is simple yet effective. Not the kind that makes you sound like an arrogant dumbass. Hmmmm…most women love sentimental stuff, you can always try something with that," Roger replied.

That wasn't much help, but Homer was determined to figure something out. He watched the girl for a moment as it was her turn to play. The two kids cheered her on as she threw the ball toward the pins and hit them perfectly enough to hit a strike. That was when Homer got an idea. He waited until the next player moved forward before making his move. She stood next to the young girl and started cheering for the boy who was up next. Homer made his way over and she saw him walk over, at first she was a little confused.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Oh no nothing is wrong," replied Homer. "I just wanted to compliment you on your strike, because you also struck my heart."

There was a long pause as the girl stared at him with a face that could not believe he had asked such a question. Homer waited nervously, wondering what she would say about this. Maybe she was just surprised that he said this to her, and maybe no one had ever asked her out before. But that thought quickly changed when the girl started to laugh out loud.

"Nice try Romeo, I hate to say this but I don't go for sentimental men, I would rather go for the rough and tough boy who is willing to drive me on his motorcycle," the girl replied once she had finished laughing so hard.

Homer stared back at her; apparently she was more into the Peter Fonda look, the kind who would rather go on a road trip on a motorcycle than a boring VW Bug, or in laymen's term, the shaggin' waggin'. The same kind of girl who wanted her guy to be covered in tattoo's, bald, and maybe have a mustache. But Homer was in no way growing a mustache, it just didn't seem to fit his persona. As he looked at her, he did notice that she did seem a bit more rugged, maybe she was taking a break from it all to be with her family's kids, whatever it was he thought it was best to leave that a mystery and go back to work. "Well live and learn I guess."

"Nice try though, maybe one day you will find that sentimental girl," the girl replied as Homer made his way back to his post where both Barney and Roger were now waiting for him.

"Didn't find anyone?" Barney asked once Homer returned to his spot.

"Not a one," Homer sighed sadly as he put a pair of shoes back in the cubby hole they were supposed to go into.

"Don't fret though Homer, your chance will come. Plenty of fish in the sea believe me," Roger replied.

"Yeah I know, I just think it would be nice to enjoy what others enjoy," Homer replied.

"Eh it's great at first but then you get those moments like Rosie and I and you wonder why the hell you got yourself into this mess. Then you realize, eh it's not that bad. So one day you will see, maybe you can ask our regular Diane" Roger said as he pointed to a girl heading their way.

She was a college girl, not the prettiest, sort of dry, and not one to get on the bad side of. But when you did get on her good side, she had a charming nature to her that the boys seemed to like. Homer liked that, yet she never seemed to want to talk to him, usually she would ignore him and move on to Barney or Roger. Tonight though, she went straight to Homer, probably because he was staring at her from all the way across the room, which she took notice of. This was a good time to ask and see if maybe she would be interested.

"Hi there, I would like the usual lane for my friends and I, size eight shoes," She began.

"That will be one fifty, and I was wondering…" Homer began.

"Nope not interested," Diane said.

"But how do you know what I was going to ask?" Asked Homer.

"Wear a better cologne next time," Diane replied.

Homer looked at her stunned as she walked away, then he lifted up his armpit and gave a good whiff, apparently his nervousness of talking to women had given him horrible body odor. An odor potent enough to cause him to fall face first into some newly returned rental shoes.

* * *

A/N: Yay another chapter done. Took me a bit, but you didn't have to wait forever. Hope you thought this chapter was okay, not the best one I did, but a good one to start to show Homer is trying to find someone else in his life. Doesn't seem to be working out for him though. Once chapter 9 gets going things will get interesting, so be prepared, I got some fun things coming your way. Not sure how long Roger will last, but we will find out in the next chapter. Don't worry I am not going to kill him.

Well that's all for now, please review I like those they are awesome. And I will hopefully have an update in a week or so.


	8. Money issues

It was late summer, the crowds that brought in great business during those warm months were now beginning to wind down and return to the usual business that went on during the school year. Homer and Barney were now nearing a full year of working there with many memorable stories to tell that just made working at the bowling alley a great experience. Roger was also nearing a year of working, but now he was making the big decision on whether or not to start college so he could find a better job in four years. He enrolled in the local community college and planned on taking core classes for the time being before deciding what he really wanted.

So Barney and Homer were usually the only ones working the weekdays, reliving fond memories of the great business they had while school was out. Barney remembered how Homer would often look around for a date, but would still come back empty handed. Apparently he just wasn't the kind of person the ladies were attracted to and it was upsetting to think about. Barney had tried on a few occasions but no one was really interested in him either. Roger was just the lucky one, even though he seemed to be getting close to hitting a last nerve with his girlfriend Rosie.

But like most wonderful jobs with low pay, it's hard to make ends meet with apartment rent, electricity bills, food, and gas for the car. It left them with a low amount of money by the end of the week, making it harder to enjoy the finer things in life and keeping them from going out to all the great night clubs on Saturday night. A few times they had to ask their parents for money, Barney's parents were always willing to help, but knew that it was not something they wanted their son to do every month for many years, they knew he needed to figure out what to do in life or be stuck with such a low paying job. Homer's father was always iffy about sharing his cash, Abe wanted to retire sometime in the future and not when he was an extremely old man. It was time they started thinking about what they needed to do.

But of course they did not worry about it right away, and continued to ask their parents for money until they got a rude awakening one day at the end of the month. They were both off work that day, so they got to sleep in and take their time getting up. Homer was the first up that morning; he shuffled his way to the kitchen and grabbed a bowl of cereal with some milk and simply sat down and enjoyed his early morning meal. He listened to the humming of the refrigerator and the sound of birds out the window before he heard Barney shuffle his way out of the room.

Like usual, Barney did not go to the kitchen first, instead, he made his way over to the front door to pick up the morning paper. He opened the door and discovered an envelope on top which he picked up and brought into the apartment with him. He set the paper down on the kitchen table and opened up the envelope to see who had sent him a letter without mailing it. Homer watched him read it as he ate his cereal before responding.

"What's up Barney, is it from a secret admirer?" he asked as he batted his eyelids.

"No the landlord," Barney replied as he continued to read silently while Homer waited wondering what the landlord wanted now.

"Is it good or bad?" Homer asked.

Barney stayed silent for the longest time, leaving Homer sitting there, his spoon halfway between the bowl and his lips wondering why Barney would not give him a straight answer right away. It must have been bad news though because Barney started to give a worried frown.

"He's raising the rent," Barney finally replied.

"What! By how much?" Homer replied as he jumped up to read the letter as well.

"An extra one fifty, but these apartments aren't that great, why raise them?" Barney asked as he set the paper down and walked to the fridge to grab a drink.

"Because landlords are sneaky bastards, but this is really unfair, it's too high for us, we can't afford that. We would have to beg our parents for even more money and no matter how much we save, the bills will keep piling up," Homer said.

"One of us might have to find a second job," Barney said before he took a swig of orange juice right out of the carton.

"Perish the thought," Homer said in an unhappy voice.

"Well what else should we do, it's not like Uncle Al will give us a raise especially at the job we have. Let's face it Homer, it's not the highest paid job in the world," Barney replied with a hint of frustration in his voice. A rare sound to hear and one that made Homer back away in surprise.

"Well we could always ask, he is your uncle after all," Homer shrugged.

"He may be my uncle but that doesn't give us privileges. Unless I don't know him as well as I thought which in that case you could try it and see what happens," Barney replied as he made his way to the cupboard and grabbed a bowl to share some cereal with Homer.

"I'll ask him when we go back in, perhaps we can show him this letter we got and then look pathetic, good way to feel sorry for us," Homer said as he tried to make his eyes all wide like a puppy's

"I think that only works for girls Homer," Barney said.

Homer lowered his eyes before letting out a grumble as he scooped up some cereal. He would think of something, he would not give up trying and hopefully they would get out of this financial crisis easily.

* * *

Barney's uncle Al had chosen the bowling business profession well. It seemed to fit him best, especially with the fact that he was not known to wear anything too fashionable or at least presentable for an office building. He always showed up to work in grungy clothes, hair mussed up, and sometimes even without having shaved the morning of. He was simply a slovenly person, he did not care about how he looked, as long as he was out of bed and dressed with a job waiting for him to manage, that was all he wanted. He was happy to take his nephew Barney in as one of his pin monkeys, and he knew eventually Barney would ask him for either a raise or some kind of promotion. At the moment, Roger was the supervisor; he had been so a few months before Barney finally made it into the pin monkey business after his original supervisor left to pursue a career in the pharmacy business. He felt it was good riddance any way, all those diddly's and doodilly's and why God was an awesome God crap really got to him, it was for the better.

Of course these days, the bowling business was slowing down, people seemed to be losing interest, save for the old ladies with carpel tunnel syndrome who came in on Thursday nights. He probably only needed one person to man the whole place, but the boys needed a job so they could take care of themselves, he understood that, he was a young man once as well and having a job was a blessing to them, helped pay for school and any other important issues. But of course he was not surprised when his nephew and Homer Simpson arrived at work one morning carrying a piece of paper and looking like he was ready to ask the dreaded question he had been waiting for. Of course he waited for Homer to ask even though it took a hell of a lot longer than he thought to do that.

He was actually making his rounds and checking up on the bowling alley store when he walked by the two talking what seemed to be about what kind of toilet tissue was softer, God only knows why, when Homer stopped him.

"So Mr. Gumble, you have a minute?" Homer asked.

"Eh sure, this place is too quiet at the moment any way, store's not going anywhere," Al replied with a bit of humor to his voice.

"Read this and tell us what you think," Homer said as he handed his boss a piece of paper.

Al took the paper out of Homer's hand and read what the poor boys were being subjected to. He immediately understood why the idea of a raise would be imminent soon; their apartment bill had gone up, up way too high for pin monkeys like them. He knew he had a heart; the only problem was he knew he could not bring it out for them during this time when things were rough enough as it was.

"You want a raise don't you?" Al sighed.

"Please sir, we are just poor ex students who need all the help we can get," Homer replied as he batted his eyes trying to look as innocent as possible.

"I have some clear eye that can get rid of that dry eye for you there Simpson, but in the meantime I can't help you, I know you both are hard workers who come in when you are supposed to, but you know how business has been. If we got more business maybe, but I don't see that happening anytime soon," Al replied.

"What if I tried to get more business?" asked Homer with a big grin.

Al knew all about employers trying to get more business for their bowling alley. He had heard some interesting stories, his favorite being the one about the kid who thought it would be a great idea to burn down all other alleys in town. Luckily someone else knew of his plan and was reprimanded before it would happen to anyone. Hopefully Homer was not thinking about that, it would be interesting though, maybe profitable yet extremely dangerous. "…If you're thinking about burning down the competitors around town I'm going to pretend you did not tell me about it and stay out of it," Al said.

"Actually I was thinking about getting everyone's attention by firing a shotgun into the air," Homer replied with an even bigger grin.

"That would scare everyone away, someone will probably call the cops on you, and perhaps a mess of dead pigeons on our sidewalks. No I think one of you needs to find a second job," Al said sternly before walking away so there would be no further argument, leaving both Barney and Homer to consider what he had just said.

Homer watched him go, a little frustrated now that there was no way of helping the alley get more profit, not even with a shotgun.

"Were you really thinking about shooting a shotgun into the air?" Barney asked.

"It sounded like a good idea at the time," Homer replied.

* * *

The sun was now setting in the late summer horizon, the hour when everything started to close save for bowling alleys and the neighborhood bars who were now getting the evening rush in. Roger Steinbeck was ignoring all these places and instead making his way to Barney and Homer's apartment. Earlier that day, he learned that his parents were getting a divorce. An unexpected surprise and a huge blow for him. What was worse was that he got a talk from his parents about how it was not his fault or his two younger sisters fault, but because his father had told the truth to his mother about sleeping with another woman. He admitted that he had been doing so for many months now and that his love for his wife was starting to wane. The best option was to part ways and Roger was caught in the middle listening to his parents and then talking to his two youngest sisters about how it would affect them.

So of course Roger was emotionally drained and he wanted to be away from the house for a while, maybe a night or two, just to think things over. He drove to Rosie's, surprising her mostly but to her it was not a good surprise. Instead of comforting him, she announced that she was just like his father. She did not care for him anymore. She had not found another man, like his father had found another woman. She only said that he was not as committed to her as she wanted him to be, they never went out much anymore and al the love she had for him had now faded. Roger of course tried to give her the reason that it was because he was trying to save as much money as he could to take her somewhere nice but Rosie did not care and kicked him out after a long and tear filled argument.

So Roger was now driving alone down the road, making his way to Barney and Homer's apartment. He knew they would accept him with open arms and hopefully let him stay for the night just so he could be away from all the negativity at home. He knew they would be happy to see him, they always enjoyed his company when he found the time to visit, they were great friends, especially Homer who was always so happy about things and could lighten up any room if he could. Hopefully Homer would do that for him tonight.

After a few minutes of thinking over the day, Roger found himself in the apartment complex, apparently he got there quicker than he thought. For a moment he sat in the car letting his emotions calm down a bit, he did not want to cry in front of them, just look sad, he hated to cry in front of other guys. But if that happened, they would probably just shrug it off in a day or two and start up a conversation about other life's issues or maybe even watch a great movie. Whatever would happen, Roger just hoped things would work out alright.

Finally he got out of his car and made his way to the apartment and knocked on the door. It didn't take long for Barney to answer and as soon as he saw Roger, he gave his friend a warm smile. "Roger! What brings you here?" Barney asked in a delighted tone.

"Well I hope I am not intruding at such a late hour," Roger said.

"Nah of course not, we were just going to sit down and watch a movie here," Homer replied from the kitchen as he was warming up some popcorn.

"Thank you, I am happy to do so, takes my mind off other issues," Roger said as he found a seat on the couch.

"What kind of issues?" Barney asked as he handed Roger a root beer from the fridge.

"Well for one, you guys weren't my first option for the evening; you see my parents are thinking about splitting up, they told me today. I went to see Rosie to get my mind off of that and well…she kind of told me that we had to see other people," Roger said as he tried to hide his emotions.

"Geeze she had to do that after you learn your parents are splitting up? That's just plain rude!" Homer exclaimed as he added as much salt as he could into the huge bowl of popcorn he made.

"I know, I could not believe how heartless she was, I even told her that but she came up with the excuse that she could not hold it in any longer," Roger said with a sigh.

"I think she could have at least just told you she was not feeling well tonight or something," Barney said.

"Yeah I know, but of course she is a girl and you know how girls are," Roger said as he rolled his eyes a little.

"Women!" Barney said in a sarcastic tone.

"You fall in love with them but they have no interest in you," Homer exclaimed before he took a big gulp of his root beer.

"They want to get married right away," Barney said.

"You spend every waking moment with them yet that isn't enough," Roger said.

"And then you buy them the most expensive gift imaginable then what happens? A breakup any way," Barney said.

"Damn Broads! Boy are they cute!" Homer replied.

The three then started to laugh, something that Roger was glad to have now. It was good to be around friends who seemed to understand, even though one never had a date in his life and the other never had a long commitment. But that was okay, it could have been worse, all three could have been in a big relationship and all three could have now spent the evening crying about it. Instead they were going to watch a movie and just forget about women entirely. Of course Roger could not get the idea of spending the night on his mind so he decided to just let it out and ask.

"Since I am having some issues at the moment, you don't mind if I crash here for the night do you?" he asked.

Barney and Homer looked at each other for a moment; an idea seemed to cross both their minds. Since getting the note about their rent going up, a new idea seemed to form in their heads. Perhaps Roger could help them in their monetary problems. They had enough room for him if he wanted to stay for a long period of time, besides Roger was old enough to be out on his own, he did not have to live with his parents any more, if he wanted to at least. It was really up to him though so they knew they had to ask him carefully.

"We don't mind at all," Barney said.

"Heck, you can even be our new roommate if you want, our rents gone up," Homer tried to say in a nonchalant kind of way.

"Yeah and the more people in here, the less the cost per person," Barney said.

Roger scratched his chin and thought about what his two friends were asking. They sounded like they really needed his help in adding someone else to their apartment. He could not blame them though, finding a second job was hard and working a second job could get very stressful after a while. He knew that, he had done so senior year of high school so he could get the car he was driving now. Never had much free time and sleep was hard to come by, his moods were especially bad and one of the reasons why he broke up with the girlfriend he had during that time. But in the end it was worth getting the car he really wanted to drive, one that didn't break down like the one his father promised him when he learned how to drive. That piece of junk was now somewhere in a lot just rotting and he was perfectly fine with that. And thanks to being the supervisor at the bowling alley, he did have enough money to take care of himself and it was time to start moving out on his own, be away from his family while things got sorted out. Yeah he could help them.

"You know, I think I will take you up on that offer," Roger said with a smile.

"Well then welcome to your new home where problems just melt away when you want them to," Homer replied before gulping down a huge handful of popcorn.

Roger only smiled; this was perfect, three bachelors sharing an apartment together. Watching movies, talking about life and just helping each other out through the months ahead. The only thing they needed to worry about would be what the future held for all three; so far they weren't too worried about it. Maybe in a few years they would be, but not now, they could have time to plan if they wanted, times to dream and times to share. Yup, this was the life, what could be sweeter than that?

* * *

A/N: Yeah I know this chapter could have been better but that was the best I could do. The Roger part I actually rewrote about four times before settling with this one, so hopefully I got it down for you guys okay. The next chapter will be the start of the interesting stuff so don't give up on me yet. I still have a long ways to go here with lots of things happening.

In the meantime please review when you can, hopefully my next chapter will be up faster. If not then just be patient, I will update when I can. So have a good week everyone.


	9. Moe the Bartender

Moe Szyslak steadied himself on the bow of _Surly Mermaid _his trusty old fishing boat that he inherited from a deceased uncle four years ago. It was early in the morning off the Florida Keys, the waves were calm and a light wind was blowing from the north. The perfect day to go fishing, but not in Moe's mind, usually he was sleeping in around this time, getting up around eleven to set up his bar and grill for the locals who came in for some afternoon relaxation. But thanks to his assistant Mick Talbot, that wasn't going to happen today. In fact, rising to the late morning sun had been out of the question for a few weeks now thanks to Mick finally getting what he wanted out of his band.

So at the moment, Moe was stuck out on the Caribbean while Mick stayed on land nearby waiting for a call to come in about whether or not he was going to play somewhere tonight. Moe of course crossed his fingers that he wouldn't, if he did he would be working solo again trying to get everyone's orders in and making the perfect beverage for those who loved Moe's specialties at his bar. He could hire Mick's sister Jenna, but she had enough to deal with as it is with cleaning up after guests in the hotel just down the waterway. In truth, he needed help, his business was slowly booming and some evenings he was known to get a big crowd in his little bar and grill that he had inherited from his uncle.

Well the land he inherited, it was a small spot right up against the water and when his uncle died four years ago. It happened right around the time he was getting ready to attend Swigmore University, a prestigious bartending school that he had his sights on since sophomore year of high school, he always wanted to be a well to do bartender and attending Swigmore would help his chances with that. Then his uncle passed on only a month before graduation, so as a graduation present, his parents brought him down to Key West to see the small parcel of land, house, and boat that Moe inherited from his uncle. He quickly fell in love with the place and instead of making his parents deal with tuition and helping him with student loans; he moved to his uncle's property and built a bar. He opened it Tuesdays through Saturdays from two until eleven; sometimes later if the night was hopping. Closed on Sundays and Mondays to let himself and Mick have some time off, even though he loved doing it, he needed a break every now and again.

Moe could not believe he agreed on taking what his uncle had left him in his will. His uncle's death was not too unexpected, his uncle lived in the Florida Keys for many years, living the life like the narrator in _The Old Man and the Sea_, always fishing for those sailfish. And it was sailfish that finished him off in the end, rather brutally too and a thought that was hard to get out of one's mind once it slid itself in there. Moe of course shook it off as best he could as he cast a line into the water. This was of course Mick's job, he was the one who was supposed to catch snapper or tarpon or even the occasional marlin for the bar's main course. But here he was, the owner of his own joint, catching the fish of the day hopefully before noon.

But of course this idea of just sitting on the boat in the early morning fishing wasn't too bad of a thing. The sea was calm and water was clear and sparkling enough to see the bottom of. Quite a few times while fishing, he would catch a glimpse of an occasional shark swimming past. Once he actually caught one and served a memorable special for three days. The regulars loved it and demanded more, but Moe said it had been quite a fight and he hoped to never do it again, not after nearly slicing his hands thanks to the shark's rough skin. And a few more times, dolphins would visit, they would swim by in a curious fashion and explore around him for a few minutes, sometimes eating his bait on the line or his fish he was reeling in but Moe did not mind, he actually found those creatures interesting. He just wished he could sleep in longer.

That Mick, always hunting for a great opportunity to land a major gig to play his music with his band The Key Minors. Most of the music was inspired by his idol Jimmy Buffett and once the great performer was actually in the crowd cheering him on. He hoped to actually one day work with the man, something Moe dreaded, if that happened, then Mick wouldn't be around much at all and sooner or later he would have to give up and find a replacement. Mick was such a good assistant though; it would be hard to replace him. But he did need help that was for damn sure, not only was he the owner of the bar but he also made drinks, cooked the meals and served the food to the customers, that was why Mick was important to have. For some reason trying to find help on the island was hard, no one seemed to want to work. Moe would not blame them though, Key West was the place to relax and forget all your troubles.

But of course because of Mick's situation, Moe was a bit worried and troubled by this, he really needed to think about getting more help and soon. If he did that he hoped someone would answer his call faster this time. It actually took him two months to find Mick and he was actually dropping by to see his sister when he stopped to look at Moe's bar and saw the help wanted sign. But ever since, Mick was sort of a mover, he liked to sing and play his guitar, which he sometimes did at the bar with his other band mates, and thanks to that, other people wanted him to play in their place too.

What a life! Of course he often thought about his friends in Springfield, Barney Gumble and Homer Simpson especially. Those two were good friends with him in his younger years before he left; luckily he still stayed in contact with them from time to time. Sometimes he even wondered if they would like coming down and helping him out, but they seemed to be happy at the bowling alley. He would pay them more though that was for damn sure. Of course that all depended on what Mick was doing and he knew he would find out in a few hours. At the moment, there was a tug on his line.

Moe stood still as he watched his fishing pole remain steady for a brief moment before the he felt a tug on the line as the fishing pole bent down into the water. Something was definitely on it! Holding on as tightly as he could, Moe began to real the line in, letting it slack from time to time so as not to break it. If he did, a whole fish would be lost and so would fifteen minutes of his time as he tried to put a new line back together. For a good five minutes he fought with the fish, it never broke to the surface until Moe finally felt the line go slack. The fish was tiring already, that was good.

He began to reel it in faster now; the fish still fought, though not as valiantly, he did not need to let the line slack as the fish finally came into view and splashed at the surface. It didn't look too big, and he wasn't sure what kind it was yet, all he knew was that it was still big enough to feed perhaps three people. A good cash flow but not enough for an entire evening. Still he reeled it in as he grabbed his net that was sitting beside him. Finally the fish was right next to the boat, slapping and jumping as it tried its best to free itself one last time, but to no avail. It finally found its way into Moe's net as he hauled it onto the boat.

"Weren't much of a fighter were you?" Moe said as he set the net down to see what he had caught. It didn't take him long to figure out what it was, the long pointed snout with the red coloring made it easy to recognize as a Vermilion Snapper. "I bet some of the guys would love to have ya for dinner."

Moe took the hook out of the snapper's mouth and carefully moved him over to the holding tank a few feet away before making his way back to the fishing line and baiting it again for the next fish. He was right about one thing too; the snapper was only good for maybe three or four people. On a really good night, he was known to get upwards of three hundred guests asking for some good drinks and a few would want a good meal. It was a small amount compared to the bigger places, but he had a small bar on the small plot of land. He was happy with that, he did not want it any other way. Those who had been out on the water all day, catching fish and having a great time, they deserved something properly cooked. He had cooked the fisherman's catch too and it always came out delicious, but for those who did not get a bite or were just more interested in beer, they came and enjoyed their time. It was still all the more reason why Moe was fishing and once he finally got the bait on the line, he cast it out hoping to catch something bigger but just as tasty.

Moe finished fishing a little after noon and quickly made his way back to the dock where Mick was waiting for him on the edge of it, his feet dangling in the water like some crazy eight year old. Moe straightened his boat on the dock before throwing a rope at Mick who tied it off.

"How was fishing this morning?" Mick asked.

"Eh not too shabby, caught ten snapper, five tarpon and three grouper. Almost had a shark on the line but he got away before I could tug too hard," Moe replied as he handed Mick the heavy basket full of fish.

"So I am guessing the grouper will be of limited supply tonight?" Mick asked.

"Yeah, first come first serve really, probably should raise the price up a little since that's all I got," Moe said as he jumped off the boat and helped carry the catch over to the bar.

"Yeah that makes sense, and I was able to go out and get you some extra lemons, I noticed you were nearly out of those," Mick said.

"Oh good, does that mean you got the call?" Moe asked.

Mick turned to Moe nervously, he actually been dreading to get this question; it was good news for him, but bad news for Moe. He knew Moe would not take it lightly but he had to tell the truth.

"Yeah I got the call," Mick replied.

"…and?" Moe said after a long pause.

Mick set the catch down next to the bar entrance while Moe unlocked the door, hoping to come up with how he should break the news to his friend. "Well…the thing is Moe…I uh…leave in a month."

Mick was staring out at the ocean when he said it but as soon as he finished, he heard the keys fall to the sandy floor. He turned back at Moe who had not bothered to pick up the keys but was now staring at Mick with a look that seemed both upset yet happy for him at the same time.

"How long will you be gone?" Moe asked as he picked up the keys.

"See that's the thing, depends on how well we do, shortest would be six months, the longest…well let's just say it might take me places," Mick replied.

"So you're telling me that I am going to have to find a replacement?" Moe asked.

"Yeah…" Mick replied.

He looked back at Moe, he seemed to be taking it okay, but he knew on the inside that the guy he was helping was not going to handle him leaving very well. He kept things from going too crazy, he knew how to make the drinks, make really good special seasoning for the french fries that went with the fish and just kept the place entertained. No this was definitely not going to be an easy separation, Mick of course did feel bad, but his dream was to always play in a band and he was finally getting that wish. If only he could find a way to also help Moe through the process, maybe find a replacement for him.

"You want me to ask Jenna if she wants to help you?" asked Mick.

"Nah she's got enough to deal with cleaning up after all those people, I wish I should have taken the warning when you told me you knew how to play the guitar well. Now I just got to think about how I should start the hiring process and how I should get good people. You know how hard it is to get good people, some just sit there and do nothing watching you slave and others want all the glory to themselves as they steal all the money from ya. It's just not easy working in a bar all by yourself, especially one that gets good money like this. I don't want to close it down because I don't have enough help."

"I'm really sorry about this Moe," Mick said while Moe began to pace back and forth in the little office where they kept the safe and extra cookbooks in case someone wanted them to make a very interesting recipe.

"Eh just get out of my sight for an hour while I figure things out," Moe replied as he sat down on a nearby chair and took out a cigar.

Mick said nothing but quietly left the room, he hoped that Moe would be okay finding a replacement. Finding Mick was a one and a million shot at getting an honest employee who came in when he was supposed to and rarely never showed up without warning Moe in advance. Of course that had been happening a lot now lately thanks to the new gigs, this was just a job to help him get enough money to get started, but now he felt bad for leaving. He did love this job and he would hate to have to go away from it for a while but he also knew that what he was doing would give him more money and maybe even a future.

Moe sat quietly on his chair, puffing his cigar and thinking about what to do now that he was going to be down one person. He knew it would be hard to work alone; his business had gotten busier since he first started now that many people told others about his place. In fact, since he had Mick, he always felt that a third person should also be there to help since both of them worked their butt off to ensure quality service and on busy nights it was tough to get the meal on time. He didn't want to close the bar because of lack of employment, he wanted to do well, he did not want to return to Springfield, if he ever did, with his tail between his legs. Of course most of his friends were in Springfield and he often missed being in contact with them, well Barney and Homer at least. Lenny and Carl were just side friends. But then a thought occurred to him, would Barney and Homer want to come down and help him?

It sounded like a good idea, those two always made the day more interesting and he always felt good after chatting with them on the phone. But like he had thought about before, would they be willing to give up their jobs at the bowling alley and come work for him? They had lived in Springfield all their life; rarely did they leave the place. Of course he lived in Springfield all his life before coming down here, it was almost an adventure really, he had no idea how long he would be living down here, maybe a few years, maybe until he died. He had no idea; he just needed to think of what to do soon before it was too late.

It was now nearing six o'clock in the evening and tonight was quieter than usual. Moe believed it was because it was Tuesday night and everyone was out doing something more important. He was alright with that though; his mind was elsewhere about what to do with help. At the moment Mick was playing music on his guitar for some guests who were enjoying the bloody mary he had served to them. So he was sitting alone at the bar, wiping it down and listening to the music. For some reason he felt the urge to call Barney and Homer, but for some reason he sensed that they would not be home, they might be at work. But then again, it couldn't help to try, he wasn't busy and no one would mind him calling a friend to chat. He went over to the corner of his bar and began dialing. It rang three times before he finally heard someone pick up the phone.

"Hello?" The voice on the other line said, a voice he had not heard before. Was this a wrong number?

"Uhhh…I think I have the wrong number," Moe said nervously.

"Well that really depends, who are you looking for?" The voice replied on the other line.

"…Is there… a Barney Gumble or a Homer… Simpson available?" Moe asked.

"Oh there was…but I stole their wallets and took over their house," the voice said.

Moe was speechless for a moment, this guy had to be joking but how in the world could he get past all this. Should he laugh or should he hang up?

"I'm just messing with you, don't worry I wouldn't do anything like that. No they are at work but I would be happy to take a message," the voice said.

"Tell them that their buddy Moe called, I have an offer that they may like to take," Moe said.

"Ooh like the godfather huh?" The voice asked.

"Not really, I don't get stabby or anything, and who in the world am I talking to anyway?" Moe asked.

"Oh I am Barney and Homer's other roommate Roger, I work with them, I just wasn't working today," Roger replied.

"Oh well nice talking with you Roger, please give them that message though okay, this is kind of important," Moe replied.

"No problem, I promise the message will be given the moment they walk into the door," Roger said cheerfully before hanging up the phone, leaving Moe just as bewildered as ever.

* * *

It was now nine in the evening, there was no busy rush tonight and the few people who were at his bar were quietly sitting there drinking their beers, martini's and gins. It was a very slow night leaving Moe to think about Homer and Barney, wondering if his two friends got the message that he needed to speak with them. It was hard to tell if that Roger kid was reliable or not. Hopefully he was, he did not want to try and call hundreds of times only to find that his two friends were working yet again.

But his thoughts were soon interrupted when his phone rang. Of course since he was in deep thought the sudden noise made him jump a few inches. But he quickly regained his composure and picked up the phone. He was relieved when the voice on the other end belonged to Barney.

"Moe, I was told you called," Barney said as soon as Moe picked up.

"I sure did Barn, glad to hear you got the message because I'm hoping you and Homer can help," Moe replied.

"Well I hope we can as long as it's not too expensive," Barney replied.

"Oh don't worry you'll actually get money out of this. I know it's a bit of a stretch to ask but would you and Homer be interested in working with me down here in Key West? My assistant is leaving soon for a music gig and I got nobody to help me keep the place running. All you need to do is serve food and drinks and catch the day's fish from my boat," Moe said quickly and seriously.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line; he knew Barney was not asking Homer because he could not hear whispering. It was as if Barney was calling the shots. "Oh dear, give up the bowling alley for a bar, I really don't know Moe, let me ask Homer."

Moe held the phone while he heard Barney call Homer over to where he was talking on the phone. Both whispering low enough that he could not hear what they were saying. It wasn't long before he heard Roger's voice join in, and he wondered what would happen to Roger if they did end up saying yes. Things were now getting a bit interesting.

Finally after a few minutes of waiting and nearly falling asleep from boredom, Barney returned but not with an answer.

"Can we call you back?" Barney asked.

"Sure thing, and just to let you guys know, if you do decide, you will have a place to stay, I got room in my beach house," Moe said.

"Okay thanks," Barney said and hung up the phone.

Homer was sitting in a nearby chair, leaning on the table looking very thoughtful yet worried at the same time. Roger was standing nearby wondering now what was to become of him if his two friends decided to leave for sunny Florida.

"Moe just said he had room at his house if we are interested, but I am not going to do it unless we all agree since he did ask for you too Homer," Barney said as he hung up the phone.

"I know, I just don't know if I want to leave the bowling alley," Homer replied.

"I know, all three of us have some memorable moments there, of course working in a bar in Key West, that sounds really fascinating. I mean think about it, the sun, and the surf," Barney said.

Homer scratched his chin, thinking about what Barney had said it sounded great but he had lived in Springfield all his life, would he really want to leave home to help a friend in need thousands of miles away? His father of course would not mind, but what about Al? Would he be okay losing his best customers? It would take him a while to find a replacement especially if all three of them had left with only him to man the place. Of course business had been slow lately so maybe he would do okay by himself.

"And don't forget besides sun and surf, there's also the ladies," Roger smiled.

Homer and Barney both raised an eyebrow. Perhaps they could get lucky in that tropical paradise. And another great thing about living there, they would not have to worry about rent, something that always put a dent in their paycheck even though Roger had now been with them for two months.

"You know a change of scenery does sound kind of nice, we have been following the same routine for a while now," Barney said.

Homer thought for just a few more seconds before finally responding. "You know what it does sound great, but what about your uncle?"

"He actually handled the place by himself for half a year before Roger came along," Barney said.

"Yeah the poor guy was getting a bit flustered by then and of course your friend Moe did not invite me so maybe I won't be going with you," Roger replied.

"We'll ask," said Barney.

"Yeah, you need a change in scenery too, besides if we hate it we can always come back here," Homer said.

"…So it's a yes then?" Barney asked.

Homer and Roger both nodded.

And without further delay, Barney picked the phone back up and called Moe back. Little did they know that they were answering the call to an amazing adventure that would change their lives in many different ways for many years to come.

* * *

A/N: Well that last part was sort of meh but I still had fun with it especially the beginning. Kinda felt like I was on the boat with him. Any way I've been noticing a lot of reviews lately where you guys ask if Marge is going to be in the next chapter. Well I want to be honest and say no, not until chapter 15 or 16. Homer is more prominent now and you will see Marge more in later chapters. I would put her in the next chapter but it would only be about her time at school and that just sounds really boring to me. So for now you are stuck with Homer until Marge and Artie are done with school, unless I or someone else comes up with an interesting idea then maybe that will change, but so far not at the moment. But hopefully now that Moe is here I got your attention. hee hee.

Any way that's all for now, please review when you can, have a nice week. Hopefully I will update this fast again.


	10. Go Key West Boys!

Roger stared straight at the road in front of him as he made his way down the Overseas Highway toward Key West in his own Chevy Nova. He had never driven down a highway like this before, and it was a strange feeling having no place to stop where grass grew. Only miles upon miles of open ocean. Naturally he was a little nervous driving down the road and would rarely join in on his friend's conversations about what they were seeing around them. In fact he had missed quite a few questions and would be surprised to hear either Homer or Barney calling out his name moments later as they tried to ask him again. But he knew he had to be careful here, one slipup could send the car careening down the highway and into deep water. Well maybe not too deep, but enough to send the sharks calling.

He had been fortunate enough to have been accepted in Homer and Barney's journey to Key West. Moe was more than happy to take him in, it could mean that the bar could be open on Sunday's and Monday's now and that more fish could be caught for the evening dinner. All Roger knew was that he was glad to get away from Springfield; it was time to scout new horizons as his family changed their surroundings. He would possibly return if things got better, for now though he was happy to be with his friends driving down the highway, a trailer hitched on the back with all their belongings.

It had taken them a week and a half to get down there and had a few adventures along the way. Adventures that would take much longer for the story to be told and more of a side distraction really, it's best to leave what they went through to your imagination. But those adventures did not slow them down and all three were excited to finally reach their destination in a few hours. If only Roger stayed calm about driving down the watery highway.

"You want to pull over and let me drive?" Barney finally ended up asking.

"Huh? …Oh I think I'll be okay, we only have a few more miles to go anyway, it's just so different driving down the never ending bridge," Roger replied as he only turned once to reply to Barney who was sitting in the front seat while Homer hung out on the back reading a new issue of Playdude he got in Key Largo before heading out. Of course Homer was paying no attention to how Roger was doing and would usually comment on some of the hot girls who were showing off in the pages.

"Man if any of the girls down in Key West look like this I think I'll be in heaven," Homer said, not taking his eyes off the magazine.

"No kidding, maybe all three of us will be lucky and have a girl by next week," Barney said.

"Mmhmm, a job, a girl, and tropical paradise what would be better," Homer replied.

"Well maybe a wider bridge," Roger replied.

"I did tell you I could drive for you," Barney said.

"I know, but it's my car and I know how to handle it, you all can drive it when you have to run errands," Roger said.

Homer nodded to this silently, mainly because he was still enjoying his magazine while Barney just rolled his eyes and looked out at the water. It really was very pretty with the blue waters meeting the blue sky. There were clouds around, but none that obscured the water and the sky from meeting each other on the horizon. It was simply a beautiful late summer day that the boys were now proud to be part of. They would reach Key West in a few hours and a new life would be waiting for them. Well Jenna would be any way, it was already afternoon and both Moe and Mick were working. When Barney called them from Miami, Moe informed them that since they were coming later, Mick's sister would be there to help them get around.

Barney began to wonder what she looked like; did she have the bikini body like the ones in the Playdude Magazine that Homer was staring at? Was she really that nice enough to come down and meet up with them or had they have to force her to do so? Why was she not with Moe? Did she already have a boyfriend? He could only come up with so many questions about her, and all he did know was that someone was there to help bring them to where they needed to go.

They finally reached Key West a little less than an hour later; Roger heaved a big sigh of relief when he finally hit the island. Now that he was no longer surrounded by water, he could relax and make his way through the town looking for where he needed to go so they could meet up with Jenna and unpack their things.

"So where are we supposed to meet this Jenna person?" Roger asked as he looked around at the swaying palm trees and the many shops that lined the sidewalks.

"Just at Moe's house down the street, she'll help us in and show us around probably. Maybe we will see Moe work and try his delicious array of booze," Barney said.

"But we're underage," Homer replied.

"But he's Moe," Said Barney.

"I have a year left before I'm legal, I bet he will let me slide," said Roger.

"Well as long as he doesn't get caught, he worked hard to get this place, and turn right here Roger," Barney said.

Roger made his turn down the street where they were soon met with row after row of little beach houses that were built against the water. Each one had a quaint little look about them that felt very welcoming to the boys as they made their way down the street. They knew it would be easy to get acquainted with the neighbors and that getting lost would be impossible, especially since it was an island and had to lead to some place that everyone knew about. The three looked at all the houses carefully, looking for the right number on the house until they came to the very end of the street. Sure enough the road led to a dead end where his house was, the last house on the street.

Right away the guys noticed how modest but nice the place looked. The driveway led to a garage like shed in the back where a bike was parked out next to it. Possibly Jenna's. There was a sidewalk leading from the driveway to the front door that had a welcome sign on it along with some flowers on each side. The yard had some grass growing but not much, they were close enough to the water that the sand took up most of the yard. But it didn't look too bad; Moe seemed to find ways to get around that by adding an island with a few flowers and some tacky lawn gnomes.

Roger parked behind the car in the driveway and a few moments later, a young lady appeared around the corner. All three of the boys saw her at the same time and two of them were instantly smitten, Roger and Homer. She wasn't in any bikini or any kind of bathing suit for that matter. Just a regular t-shirt and some short shorts while her long brown hair was tied neatly in the back. For a moment, Homer almost thought he saw Marge by the way she moved her body toward them in a graceful manner. She almost had the same facial features too, save for the nose which was a bit pointier than Marge's was. In an instant, he wondered if perhaps he would get lucky with her and finally have a girlfriend to call his own.

"She's mine!" Roger suddenly called out.

"I saw her first," Homer said.

"No you didn't, you're sitting in the back seat so your projection isn't as quick as mine," Roger replied as he jumped out of the car to greet the young lady. Barney only slowly got out, he didn't seem to show much interest and that was fine by Homer, it was easier to duke it out with one guy.

"Welcome to the Key's boys," Jenna said with a warm smile and held out a hand to shake with Barney who was the first to reach her. Roger was still trying to move forward with the perfect greeting, while Homer stood behind Barney ready to shake her hand.

"You're Jenna?" Barney asked just to be sure.

"That's me, Jenna Talbot at your service, cleaner of hotel rooms and bathrooms, baker of Jenna's perfect key lime pie, and surfer extraordinaire." She had a small southern accent that seemed to be disappearing over time.

"Well I'm Barney Gumble, former pin monkey and best friend to Moe," Barney replied.

Jenna smiled warmly and was about to shake Homer's hand when Roger jumped forward knocking Homer over and shaking her hand excitedly. "I'm Roger Steinbeck, no relation to John Steinbeck, also a former pin monkey with lots of time on his hands."

"Well nice to meet you Roger, I can see you are a pin monkey seeing as how you just knocked over one," Jenna replied.

"Yeah that's another monkey alright," Roger said with a grin.

Homer helped himself up before introducing himself with a warm and friendly smile. "I'm Homer Simpson, second best friend to Moe, and it's great to meet you."

"Likewise," Jenna nodded. For a brief moment both met eye to eye and for that brief moment Homer felt that there was some sort of connection between both them already. But that brief moment was quickly extinguished when Jenna motioned them inside. "Well I bet you guys are ready to relax after that long trip, so come on in and make yourselves at home, we'll stop by Moe's in about an hour or two since it is the afternoon rush right now."

The three followed her into Moe's quaint little home on the water, and as soon as they opened the door they discovered that it was much different on the inside. The living room was the first room that was visible to them as soon as they walked in. There was a sofa and a matching loveseat and both looked like they had been worn out years ago. The blue color that it once had was now faded to a dull blue and parts of both were torn. There was a bucket with a life ring on top and on top of that was a round piece of glass with some candles for decoration in the middle, apparently Moe had not found the time to get himself a new coffee table. There was a TV against the wall on top of an old lobster crate and next to that was another lobster crate with his record player, while his records were neatly set up on the bookshelf next to a nice collection of books.

Beyond the living room was the kitchen and a small dining room with an ordinary table and chairs, ones that looked like they were meant to be outside rather than in. The kitchen was modest with no dishwasher and an old stove that could only be turned on once you lit the gas. There were still dirty dishes in the sink and a box of chicken left out from a few days ago on the counter waiting to be thrown out. All four of them were too afraid to even go near it, afraid of what they might smell.

"Yeah, Moe works too much, I'm glad you all came, maybe he can finally clean up after himself and Mick once in a while. I would do it but I do enough of that at work and at my own house," Jenna said as she led them to the bedroom where they would be staying in.

The three entered to find a nice, cozy little room with three twin beds up against the wall, they were almost like cots but not as uncomfortable. There were three chest of drawers for their clothes and a big window on the other side of the wall with the view of the ocean in front of it all.

"Well go ahead and take your pick," Jenna said while Homer, Barney and Roger picked the beds they wanted.

Homer decided on the bed on the far side of the room, it seemed like the perfect place to him. He tested the bed and found it to be nice and comfortable before setting his suitcase on top so he could start making himself at home. Roger took the middle bed, while Barney took the one closest to the door, since he was discussing with Jenna about some of the strange decorations Moe had around the house. Both Roger and Homer were listening to Barney joke about it with Jenna, when a figure suddenly leapt onto Homer's bed. Homer jumped back in surprise before realizing it was only an orange tabby cat.

"Oh I forgot to mention Hemmingway stays here too," Jenna said.

"Hemmingway huh?" Roger said.

"Yeah Moe and I think he is a stray from the authors house a few miles from here. I guess he had enough of the tourists and decided to make his home here," said Jenna as she moved forward and picked up the purring tabby.

"Well I guess it would be nice to have someone to hug when you come home from fishing and working all day," Homer replied as he made his way to the cat and gave it a pat on the head. Hemmingway continued to purr happily letting everyone keep their attention on him. Finally Jenna put the cat down and let him wander away so the boys could unpack.

"Well you guys go ahead and unpack, relax, or do whatever you need to do, I'll be out on the porch until it's time to visit Moe. Feel free to join me when you want," Jenna said as she walked away with Hemmingway following behind her.

As she walked away, Roger stood next to Barney, staring at her butt as it swayed back and forth when she walked. He let out a satisfied sigh before turning back to the guys with a huge smile on his face

"Man I'm gonna have some good times with her," Roger said happily.

"What makes you think so?" asked Homer a little annoyed by his cheekiness.

"Because I'm gonna ask her out on a date," Roger said.

"Aww come on Roger, you've been lucky ever since you were in high school, I need a chance to finally get the girl, can't I try first and if I fail, you can take over?" asked Homer.

"Yeah Roger, Homer hasn't gotten a girl yet, and she looks like a good starter for him," Barney replied.

Roger stared at his two friends who were now gaining up on him over a girl they had just met. They were right about one thing, he was lucky to find all the girls since he was a sophomore in high school and that had been quite a few years now. He had actually gone through four, and Rosie was the longest relationship he had, he still kind of missed her on occasion. He was now wondering if there was someone better on the island, there had to be tons of them so why not let the dud finally get a shot.

"Alright make your move when you are ready, just don't go too quickly, get to know her for a few days or a couple of weeks. If it doesn't work out, let me know and I'll show you how it's done," Roger replied with a sly smile.

"Oh don't worry I learned from the best and I am going knock her off her feet," Homer said as he slammed a drawer full of his clothes shut.

Roger was once again driving a few miles down the road in Key West toward Moe's Bar and Grill so that they could meet up with their old friend and learn some basics about working for him. Jenna was in the front seat giving Roger direction on where to go, while Barney and Homer sat in the backseat, both excited about meeting up with their old friend after years of not seeing him. Homer of course was also watching Roger to make sure he wouldn't try anything funny with Jenna; he wouldn't tell him right off if he did but he would later when he got the chance.

Luckily for him though, the drive was very short and it wasn't long before the group reached their destination. They parked out in front and immediately noticed how much nicer the place was than Moe's own house. The walls looked like they had been recently painted with a very soft red; the edges were colored yellow while the sign that let people come into the establishment was written at the very top in bright bold letters that could easily be seen from a distance. They wondered too if the sign was also out by the docks where the boats came in after a nice quick fishing trip. As they got further in, they noticed that the bar and grill was not blocked in by walls, in fact the entire place was open air. They could feel the wind coming from every direction and could hear Mick playing music on the open stage nearby. It was soft, tropical sounding music that made them feel right at home once they got further in.

It seemed that the rush had ended a while ago, only a few customers were there, and most were at the bar talking with friends or just sitting there contemplating about what they went through during the day. There were still a few at the tables, but they looked like they had finished their meal a while back and were just conversing about random topics. But they stopped thinking about the crowd when Jenna brought them over to Moe, who was busy cleaning out a plate left behind by one of the patrons. He stopped what he was doing once the three boys were within earshot of him.

"Well if it isn't Barney Gumble and his best bud Homah Simpson," Moe replied with his strong accent as he ran out of the bar area and gave Barney a big bear hug, a feat for someone like him who was so scrawny compared to Barney.

"It's great to see you again Moe, Springfield hasn't been the same without you," Barney said.

"Yeah that happens from time to time, but when the opportunity knocks, you got to answer it and see how it affects the way you live," Moe said as he turned to the new guy he hadn't met. "Oh hey is this Rogah?"

"Yes sir, that's me, ready to work for you," Roger said as he shook Moe's hand.

"Wow this is great, you don't know how happy I am to have you guys, I trust the trip went well for you all," Moe said.

"Oh yeah it was a lot of fun," Homer said.

"Well good, good! So now that you're finally here go ahead and take a seat, listen to Mick play and enjoy the evening. You guys want refreshments?" Moe asked.

The boys looked at each other; apparently they did not realize they were old enough to drink alcoholic beverages there. The state Springfield was in, raised the age to twenty-one about three years ago. Florida was still letting people over eighteen drink and this was now an advantage to the boys, just as long as Homer did not get carried away.

"I'll have a Duff," Barney replied as he sat on a nearby stool while Homer and Roger joined him.

"Alright one Duff on the house, how 'bout you Homah?" asked Moe as he poured a glass for Barney.

"Hmmm…I think I'll have a Kahlua Mudslide," Homer replied while looking at the selection that Moe could do.

"Oh excellent choice, what's nice too is that you can have about four before you really get buzzed, and you don't get knocked out unless you have way too many," Moe said proudly while he dug around for the ingredients.

"And I see you have Sex on the Beach, I've been wanting to try that," Roger said proudly.

"Oh I've been meaning to cover that one up, I'm out of Peach Snapps, didn't realize it until someone asked me earlier. So you can choose anything that doesn't need that stuff in there," Moe said sheepishly. He hated running out of things and he felt bad for the customer who had come in just for that earlier.

"How about the Brass Monkey then?" Roger asked.

"Coming right up," Moe said.

"You know we should probably toast to a successful new job venture we're going through," said Homer.

Both Barney and Roger murmured in agreement. Well Roger anyway, Barney was busy gulping down his Duff. But he seemed to agree.

"If you're going to toast, I'll join you guys, wanna make sure my bar is successful with you nitwits," Moe said as he poured himself a glass of Heineken.

Once Moe got his drink ready he raised his glass in front of Homer, Barney and Roger, smiling happily. The boys followed suit waiting for Moe to begin the toast.

"To this bar, may it have many years of great fortune and fame," Moe replied.

"To us, may we eat, drink and be merry even while working," Barney said and took another swig before everyone else could finish the toast.

"Uh I would not recommend that Barn," Moe said worriedly.

"Well then let's just be merry," Barney said with a burp.

"To friends, may we cherish them until we are too old to guzzle beer down our throats," Homer said.

"And to all of us finding the right girl, may we all get lucky," Roger said.

And with that, all four glasses clinked together before the boys let out a rowdy and happy cheer. It was the beginning of a new life, the beginning of something grand, and the beginning of a great adventure.

* * *

A/N: I would like to apologize for the long wait; I'm currently in transition, moving about from place to place. I'm still waiting for a job offer and thanks to that I am stuck with family. It took me a few weeks to find a really nice spot to relax and write and when I finally did I was very happy because it's very annoying when you cannot find a comfortable enough place to sit down and use your imagination. So I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and that the wait was worth it, I know this was more of an introduction chapter but don't worry we will get to some interesting stuff soon. Jenna is very important so keep an eye on her. And Moe's accent is probably a bit off, I'm still trying to get it right so I apologize for anything that seems odd about him.

So please review, a lot of people seem to have lost interest and that makes me feel a bit sad. I know I get a lot of readers; I have the stats to prove it. So don't be shy tell me what you like and stuff. Any way that's all for now, I will try to update sooner.


	11. The first morning

Homer was dreaming, it was a troubling dream, the kind of dream where many will wake up and feel very miserable for the first few hours. They wonder why such sadness can exist and if any hope can come about their lives at all. Dreams that felt so real, that when you woke up, tears would be falling you're your face without even meaning to. Dreams like that are never fun, and Homer was experiencing this first hand.

He dreamt of being alone on the pier that was right in front of Moe's Bar, watching the waves splash up beside him while a storm brewed beyond the horizon. Moments later he was distracted by two figures walking toward him and for a long time he could not figure out who they were. Once they reached the pier though, Homer recognized them immediately and his heart beat with great excitement. It was Jenna and Marge. He could not believe that both were standing there before him as if they were ready to embrace him.

Of course Homer could not wait for them to come up to him a moment longer and ran toward them as fast as he could and tell them how beautiful they were, especially Marge. The girls waited for him to move forward and as soon as he was inches from them ready to hug them tightly, Jenna held out her hands and pushed him back. Homer backed up a bit, almost losing is balance and falling onto the splintered pier but was able to stay straight and stare at both the girls wondering why Jenna had just done what she did.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Homer asked.

"Of course not, why would we be," Jenna said angrily.

"Because I think you're both amazing," Homer admitted as he stared at Marge who was only watching back with sad eyes. Was she here because Artie had left her? Was she finally rid of him? But why was she sad? She should be happy now that she was here to be with him and not that self centered idiot. Homer ran toward her hoping that maybe she would accept him, instead the outcome was the same.

"We are not here for what you think Homer," Marge said.

"Then why are you here?" asked Homer as he stood there staring back at them wondering what to do now. Tears were starting to form in his eyes as he was now realizing that neither of them were showing any love to him.

"We want you to leave us alone!" Jenna screamed.

"You don't deserve anyone!" Marge cried back.

"Go away!" Jenna yelled again.

Homer now had tears forming in his eyes, how could anyone be so cruel and say something so vicious to him. This couldn't be happening he had to figure out what to do and make things right again. He was about to run from them when Marge grabbed him and stared him in the face. Homer stared back wondering what she was about to tell him, Homer braced himself at what he was about to hear. Marge opened her mouth, but her voice did not come out, instead it was the sound of an air horn bringing him back to the present.

Homer jumped up in surprise as the second blast from the air horn sounded. He sat there in the bed breathing heavily and trying to calm down from the dream before turning to the front door of his, Roger, and Barney's room. There stood Mick laughing like a drunken sailor and about to press it again even though all three were up. Barney quickly jumped up and put a stop to it.

"Don't tell me this will happen every morning," groaned Roger.

"No of course not, I'll be leaving in a week. Besides I just wanted to annoy you on your first morning," Mick grinned.

"Well I have been thoroughly annoyed, now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to sleep," Roger said as he rolled over and coved himself in blankets.

Mick only grinned before making his way to Roger's bed where he uncovered him and blew the air horn inches from his head. Roger let out a cry of pain before jumping up out of the bed wearing only underpants.

"Sorry guys but its seven AM, that means breakfast is ready and we'll be leaving to go fishing in thirty minutes. But since I had trouble waking you, it's now twenty-six minutes," Mick said before he walked out of the room.

For a moment, all three sat in silence, a bit confused at what had just gone on until Roger finally decided to put on his pants and grab some breakfast. Barney followed suit and Homer was right behind still questioning his dream and what was possibly for breakfast.

The boys each set a place for themselves on Moe's old dining room table as Mick whipped up some scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. A hearty meal that he loved to have just before going out on the boat to fish. Moe was going to see them off but wasn't going with him; he had worked until eleven last night and needed his rest before opening again in the afternoon. It was evident that the place was always busy with something going on and someone doing something, a kind of life that was good and enjoyable enough where work was more pleasant that annoying.

Mick of course seemed to enjoy it as we whistled while scrambling the eggs and made sure the bacon was nice and brown. The boys only watched, still a bit sleepy from waking up so suddenly and really not quite ready to strike up a conversation. Of course Mick had other ideas and was soon chatting away with Barney who told him how he had met Moe years earlier after Homer had gone to summer camp and returned with a new friend. Homer and Roger only listened on, Roger close enough to falling asleep right on the table while Homer tried to shake off his dream. It was slowly falling out of his memory and was starting to feel a bit more relaxed now. They were only dreams and nothing more.

Once breakfast was over, Homer's dreams were now nothing but a fuzzy memory and all three were now awake enough to begin the day ready to head out on the boat and see what kind of fishing they could do out there on the water. Moe had finally woken up and was now bringing them out to his little dock to meet his pride and joy.

"So have you boys ever driven a boat before?" Moe asked as he led the way to his boat on the dock.

"Of course Moe, you remember that time we stole my dad's and took a joyride in Lake Springfield back in '67," Barney replied.

"Oh man I got so sea sick after eating all those pickles…or was it lake sick," Homer replied.

"Oh yeah, how long did your dad ground you for Barney?" Moe asked.

"Couple weeks or so, probably the most boring weeks of my life," Barney said.

"Yeah my dad gave me the spanking of my life, my butt was red for a week after that," Homer said.

"That was one crazy summer, but how about you Rogah, do any sailin' in your time?" asked Moe.

"No, I've ridden in them so I guess this will be my first time driving it," Roger said.

"Ah, well just watch the guys do it, it's not too hard," Moe said as he lead toward his pride and joy.

The boat was rocking back and forth with the waves as they made their way forward to see what they were using to go fishing. It was an old fishing boat, built in the early fifties, but still very sturdy and reliable and that's what Moe liked about it. His uncle had kept it in prime condition so it almost looked that it had been built ten years ago, rather than twenty years ago. The boys stared at it, marveling at how nice it was and surprised that Moe would actually trust them using his boat in the middle of the ocean.

"_The Surly Mermaid_ huh?" Roger said as he looked at the back and noticed the boat had a name.

"Yeah my uncle named it that; I've been thinking about changing it to _The Syzlah_, what do you think?" Moe asked.

Homer made a disgusted face while Roger tried his hardest not to laugh at such a funny sounding name for a boat. Barney just stared at Moe wondering if his old friend had gone bananas for being out in the sun so long.

"Don't worry boys, I told him no and that his uncle would probably roll in his grave if he did change it," Mick said as he started loosening the ropes that were tied from the dock to the boat.

"Hey it sounds cool to me, I bet the ladies would love it," Moe said.

"Jenna didn't," Mick said.

Moe only shrugged as he climbed onto the boat with Mick to help start up the engine. Moe was apparently the only one allowed to turn it on, and he woke up every morning to help Mick do that before going back to bed for another hour or two. It was just protocol to him; he wanted to make sure his old uncles boat ran smoothly. Mick would probably tell him otherwise but he didn't want to risk it. It had only needed to be serviced once and that was a year ago where it stayed in the repair shop for a week. Moe could not make any fish that week and had to settle for crabs given to him by his rival Patrick Callaway, another big bar owner who often made more money than Moe during the summer season. Usually by only one thousand dollars, but enough for Moe to want to keep going with the rivalry. This summer was no exception but now that he had three extra helpers, next year, during America's bicentennial, things would be different.

While Moe was warming up the boat, Homer thought about the shrug Moe gave when Mick mentioned Jenna, did that mean they were together? But Moe also said he was trying to attract the ladies, he was going to have to watch those two carefully and find out. Hopefully he would get lucky and that Jenna would accept him, not like in his dream that morning.

But Homer's thoughts of love were quickly changed to thoughts of the wonderful sea breeze whipping his hair about, and the salty sea air spraying in his face. He sat in the front of the bow of the boat, while Mick gave Barney and Roger a lesson on how to drive. Homer would learn when they drove back since there was not much room near the steering area. But Homer was glad he did not have to learn right away, just letting the ocean breeze melt all his thoughts away as Mick brought them to the usual fishing spot many miles offshore.

They seemed to reach the spot in no time at all, Homer wanted to enjoy the ride some more, but that would have to wait until after fishing was done. For now he had to find his own pole and start fishing for the dinner menu at Moe's Bar. Mick helped set up the hooks for them and showed the boys how to use the right bait for the right fish, especially how to get the biggest one. Roger of course was the most willing to cast out first and before long he was on the bow of the boat humming to himself as he waited for a fish to come along. Pretty soon Barney had his line and was sitting across from Homer as both of them cast out at the same time and waited for a fish to come by.

For a little while they all sat in silence, listening to the waves lap up against the boat, the seagulls call out overhead, and some boats drive by. Not many boats seemed to come by this area, it was really secluded and quiet, the perfect place to fish.

"So Mick, I hope you don't mind asking but is your sister available?" Roger suddenly asked without missing a beat.

It seemed to take a moment for Mick to register that Roger had suddenly asked that question and another moment to think about how to respond. Of course it was a normal question for him, but one that had not been asked in quite a while.

"She has been for about, oh four months now, says she taking a break for a bit too so it might be hard to convince her otherwise," Mick said.

"Rough relationship?" Roger asked.

"Not really, it was actually a really good one, until the bastard just up and says he has no interest in her any more. Two days after they split up, she runs into him hanging around with some floozy. Poor girl came to me crying her heart out, it was so upsetting that I ended up writing a song about it, I should play it for you guys later," Mick said.

"But do you think she would be interested in any of us?" Homer asked.

"Perhaps, but you got to win her over in such a way that makes her want to be with you. Break her heart and I will tear you to shreds," Mick said while he was busy unraveling his hook that had just got caught in some rocks.

Homer looked over at Roger nervously wondering if it really was a good idea to try and hook up with this girl. Roger though only smiled as if he knew he would be the perfect match, apparently seeing more pretty girls would not lead him into temptation. Homer knew he had to be careful with that too, but as long as the relationship was happy, he did not see a problem.

But thoughts about girls quickly changed moments later as everyone jumped up to the loud sound of another fishing boat heading their way. Mick dropped what he was doing and jumped up to see who was out there making all that noise, shortly after the music of Dobie Gray quickly engulfed the silence around them.

"Who are those people?" Roger asked in an annoyed voice.

"Patrick Callaway and his two sidekicks Greg and Ian," Mick grumbled angrily.

"Are they trouble?" Homer asked.

"Only in business, you see Moe has a rivalry between them. Patrick owns the Callaway Cay Bar just up the coast from us. He usually makes a bit more money than us and we've been trying to beat him for years. He likes to interrupt my fishing once a week, I guess now is a good of a time as any since he needs to know that Moe has three new extra hands," Mick grumbled as he watched Patrick bring his boat toward them.

For a moment, Homer thought Patrick would ram his boat up against Moe's and quickly jumped up to stay out of the way if needed be. But Patrick seemed to know what he was doing, it wasn't long before he slowed down right in front of _The Surly Mermaid_ and threw a line at Mick who quickly grabbed it and tied it to the boat.

"Well well, I see we have some new faces here," Patrick said as he came forward with Bruce and Ian.

"They're my replacement for when I leave for my music career," Mick said in a rather unfriendly tone.

"Ah of course, the music career that you think will land you big, and you leave Moe with these three, hmmm this could get interesting," Patrick said as he made his way onto the boat and stared at Homer, Barney and Roger.

He was a tough looking fisherman, strong and tall with broad shoulders and a military type haircut. He wore some bulky sunglasses and had a long scar on his cheek that went all the way to his ear. Homer began to wonder if this was from a fight he had with other fisherman or just that he only had one to look tough. His partner Bruce was an interesting character; he almost had a build like Barney only a bit fatter and dumber looking. He stayed on the boat, squinting his eyes as if he was trying to size up the competition before hacking out a piece of tobacco into the water and then walking to the back of the boat. Apparently they were no concern to him and he had better things to do. Ian was much shorter than both of them and knowing how short people were, he had a sort of little dog complex where he acted bigger than he really was, he puffed up his chest and smiled menacingly as if he was up to something.

"I bet they will do twice the amount of work Bruce and Ian do," Mick said while he still tried to undo his tangled line.

"Perhaps, as long as they learn about how to fish right and stay out of our territory," Patrick said with a grin.

"I see you still haven't learned to stay out of mine," Mick said.

"Heh, no not yet, besides it's good to have a second person come on board and find out if you told them all the rules yet," Patrick said.

"Well I was going to tell them your territory was further out southeast, what size fish we needed and how to avoid tourists" Mick said.

"Oh those are all easy things, what about the things only us natives know, like the easiest way to get to the Dry Tortugas, where they sell the best bait, how to avoid a relationship with a an old Spanish man and what about Barracuda?" Patrick asked.

"You mean those really angry fish who try to take a bite out of you the first chance they get?" Roger asked while he reeled something in, Barney of course was watching but Homer only stared back at Patrick wondering what he was talking about.

"What's your name kid?" Patrick asked.

"Roger S-S-S" Roger began as Patrick came forward making him feel a bit uncomfortable. "…sir?" Patrick grabbed the fishing pole out of his hands and took over the reeling business.

"Well Roger it sounds like you know your fish, but Barracuda is not a barracuda, in fact I am a little surprised that Moe did not tell you about him, seeing as how Barracuda is the one who brought him down here. Because Barracuda is a Marlin."

Patrick now had his hand on a snapper that Roger had just caught, a small one and not very big. Carefully he unhooked it and then gave it to Roger to hold. Roger tried to hold it and see the creature up close. But it quickly started to wiggle and squirm causing Roger to lose his grip sending the fish back into the water.

"Is it a big Marlin?" Barney asked.

"I was going to tell them when they were ready Patrick, it's a good second night story, I was going to tell them through the ballad I wrote," Mick said

"Oh they don't want to hear you're singing, I know I don't. And what's your name?" Patrick asked Barney. Mick was staring back at Patrick so angrily that it looked like he could bore a hole into the guy.

"Barney," Barney replied.

"Well Barney, he is not the biggest, probably not the smartest either, but he is certainly one of the meanest out there," Patrick said.

"How mean? And I'm Homer in case you're wondering," Homer said.

"Well Homer, did Moe tell you his uncle lost his life to a marlin a little over four years ago?" asked Patrick.

"Yeah he told us what happened and how he had inherited his home and land, just not the name of the fish or anything," Homer said.

"Well Barracuda is that Marlin, and why is he called Barracuda you may ask? Because he is just as mean and twice as ugly," Patrick began. "No one knows how old he is, some thinks he may only be a couple decades since most of the incidents have happened in a span of ten years, but that could just mean he moved from one place to another. He is not hard to miss if you ever catch him, for a while the only recognizable way was from his dorsal fin which is missing part of the crest. But now, there is a new way to tell who he is, you know that one right Mick?"

"Of course, only half a bill after that fateful fishing day with Moe's uncle Leo," Mick said.

"How did that happen?" asked Roger.

"No one knows for sure, Leo was a solitary figure, always fishing by himself and never saying much," Patrick continued. "Old Jerry Kellen found him out here while fishing in the evening. What we all think happened was this. He caught Barracuda, a great struggle indeed, probably fought for hours. Leo was able to reel him all the way in but Barracuda wasn't finished with him, in a fit of rage, that angry fish attacked and gored Leo right in the chest. Leo must have tried to fight him off, because he was able to snap Barracuda's sword in half before Barracuda jumped back in and left Leo standing there, a fish sword sticking out. But before he passed on, he pulled it out, he probably should not have done that though, he could have lived if he left it in there, but he was probably in so much shock that he wasn't thinking properly. Everyone hoped it was a quick death, poor Old Jerry was so shocked afterward, but I wouldn't blame him."

"So has he been seen since?" Barney asked.

"Oh yes, many times, he often drags men out of the boats, sometimes he just rams the boat before the fisherman have to let him go. I fought him two years ago, that's how I got this scar," Patrick said as he pointed to the large scar on his cheek. "Nearly beheaded me with that sword of his, and even though he only has half of it, it's still as sharp as ever."

"How did he get away when you tried to catch him?" asked Homer.

"The line snapped after he breached and nearly got me, I was okay with that, I knew I was losing it was better for me to just let him go. There's always another chance," Patrick said.

"Well at least you're humble about some things," Roger said.

Patrick stared back at Roger in an almost intimidating manner. Apparently Patrick liked to intimidate the first time he met some new people out on the boat. They were just the usual greenhorns, yet these ones were part of a competition so he wanted to make sure that they knew of him and his rivalry with Moe.

"Well now that I've given them a bit of history I say its time I headed further southeast to get my catch in. I'll be watching you boys and I hope we will meet again," Patrick said before he made his way back on his own boat. Mick helped him unknot the rope and threw it back to him before Patrick drove off with his two sidekicks, and before long disappeared beyond the horizon.

For many minutes, there was silence between the four men, no one was sure what to say or what to think of the new stranger they met, they had no idea if he really was a threat or not. He seemed to be just a rival, one where they had to prove that they could do well for Moe and his business. It now seemed like this new adventure was going to get interesting. While they stood watching, Homer felt a tug in his line and started reeling it in.

"Well guys you just met the competition, what do you want to do now?" asked Mick.

"Well for one thing I would like to bring this fish in," Homer replied as he hung on to his line.

Well that was a start at least.

* * *

A/N: Yeah this was a subpar chapter I know, I just wanted to get this one done and introduce characters and stuff. So I hope Patrick seemed like an interesting competition to you guys. You'll see him some more later. The next chapter should be fun for me though, things are gonna get interesting with Jenna. Hopefully it comes out the way I want it.

Any way please review when you all can, hopefully I will update again soon.


	12. Finding Love

Less than a week after the boys arrived, Mick left the island for places unknown, well his first stop was Savanna, Georgia but he wasn't sure where he was going after that. Moe was down a crew member, but had gained three out of losing him and things seemed to work out fine that way. For one thing, he could keep the bar open on Sunday and Monday, making more money that way and possibly beating Patrick in the cash flow. The boys set up a system on who would be out fishing for the day. Homer and Barney took Monday's, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, Homer and Roger went together on Thursdays, Roger and Barney worked together on Fridays and Saturdays, and on Sundays they rotated around and had Moe join whoever was working that morning.

It was now mid January, the boys had been in Key West for a little over four months, enjoying the warm weather, learning how to make the best drinks, and fishing for hours in the morning. It was a very nice life; all three fell in love with it. The boys started sporting the island life look, wearing swim shorts most of the time, especially when out on the boat along with tank tops and sandals. Work was casual so they wore almost the same ensemble, they would be wearing t-shirts. They also let their hair grow out, sporting the surfer guy kind of look. Homer was letting his hair grow long down the back, but not too long, just enough to make him look like he was a laid back kind of guy. Barney was the same, though for some reason his could not grow as long, and Roger decided that he needed a goatee just so he could stand out among his friends

While out on the boat Barney often mentioned how he was glad he made the decision to move down there yet often wondered how long their life in paradise would last. Homer did not care one way or another, he sometimes wondered what was going on in Springfield and even though he was trying to find ways to court Jenna, he still often wondered what Marge was up to and if she was still with Artie Ziff. He often wondered if she thought about him and if she was alone again, would she wait for him to return to her? It was a question that always bugged him and one that delayed his courting with Jenna. A delay that annoyed Roger to no end.

Many times, Homer had the opportunity to go up and ask Jenna, and many times Roger had the opportunity to sweep Jenna off her feet and take her in his arms. But he remained patient even though it was annoying to wait for Homer night and day and find out if he had any luck. Now that February was fast approaching, he was hoping that he could at least take someone out on a date for Valentine's Day. He hadn't been alone on Valentine's Day in years, and he did not want to make this year an exception. Homer needed to court Jenna; he wanted to see if she would show any interest in him. If not he would take her, and if not her, well there were plenty of others sunning themselves on the beaches out there.

But something had to be done, it was time to talk to him and get him to try and date Jenna. He knew the best opportunity would be on Wednesdays; Jenna came by no matter what to have a cosmopolitan and maybe even play some piano for the patrons that were starting to miss her brother's music. So with any luck, Homer could try to talk to her on Wednesday night, and of course he could help get him in the right direction.

Like many Wednesday nights in January, the bar was quiet and only a few locals were actually there enjoying the evening with their favorite drinks and a good grilled fish. It was only Homer and Roger working together that night and so far not much action had occurred. Jenna was usually there by four but had not shown up yet and Roger noticed Homer's wary eye as he looked around for their female friend.

"I bet she got caught up in things," Roger said while Homer was mixing a drink.

"Huh…what?" Homer asked.

"I know you're looking for Jenna, she'll be here, it's she probably had other things to take care of," Roger said.

"Yeah I hope she's not sick, I really wanted to talk to her tonight," Homer said while he shook the drink back and forth.

"Oh are you finally gonna ask her out?" Roger asked trying his hardest not to sound excited at the prospect of him finally doing it.

"I wanna try, but I'm not sure how, the last time I did that with someone it didn't go over well," Homer said.

"Hmmm…well how would you like it if I helped you out?" Roger asked in a suave sounding voice.

Homer perked up a bit, Roger had helped him once before, it didn't work that time but he was close with those girls to try. So maybe this time he could get lucky, Roger seemed to know what he was doing and how to move things along. He wanted this to work out and he wanted to make sure he could put the right impression on her.

"I would like that yes," Homer said hopefully.

"Good, now if you excuse me, we have some arrivals at table five," Roger said.

Homer nodded and stood there alone at the bar wiping off the countertop a few times even though it was clean. He could not help that his mind was somewhere else; he had wanted to ask Jenna out for a while but never had the nerve to bother and ask. He did not want it to end badly like it did with Marge, that just ruined him and he was still not over it even though he should be. Luckily for him though, his moment finally arrived when Jenna walked through the doors. Homer watched as she quickly made her way over to the usual place she sat at the bar and let out a big sigh.

"You know what I like Homer," she replied with a sort of angry voice.

"It'll be right there Jenna," Homer said nervously as he noticed the different tone she was carrying.

Homer was in the middle of making the cosmopolitan when Roger arrived with the written orders and noticed who had finally shown up. He looked at Homer with curiosity in his eyes while Homer looked back nervously.

"She seems upset, maybe I should try another day," Homer said.

Roger's eyes went wide, he was not about to let this perfect moment slip. "No, no, no! Chicks love it when you try to cheer them up, they love it more when you ask them what happened and you listen, that helps with the relationship even more."

"Oh I don't know Roger," Homer said while putting a cherry into the drink.

"Don't make me take her from you, because I will," Roger threatened.

Homer gulped, he did want to talk to her, he just wasn't sure how to do it. Roger had just given him a small piece of advice, but would it even work? Carefully he made his way toward Jenna who was busy reading through a magazine and looking more worn than usual. The cosmopolitan would help calm things down just a little Homer knew and he even wondered if she would want more than one tonight. He set down the drink next to her and Jenna stared at it with eager eyes before grabbing it and taking a sip.

"Will that be all for you tonight, Jenna?" Homer asked.

"So far yes," Jenna said with a sigh.

Homer stared back at her trying to think of something to say that could get a good conversation going. He looked back at Roger who was grilling fish, not even watching him, but that was a good reason, those fish could easily burn if not grilled properly. He was on his own for this one. Jenna didn't seem to notice he was still there and let out a big sigh before putting her hand on her chin as she read. She didn't cry but for some reason Homer could tell she wanted to.

"Rough day huh?" He finally asked.

Jenna looked up from her reading and saw Homer standing over her with a concerned look in his eyes. One that seemed to tell her he was willing to listen to any sob story she could bring out.

"Heh, you can say that again," Jenna said with a stare that was all too familiar to Homer, he usually gave that one when he was upset.

"Wanna talk about it?" Homer asked.

Jenna stared back, still surprised that a guy was willing to listen and wondered how long how long he would take her nonsense. But Homer did seem like the kind of guy who would do such a thing, she had admired him ever since he arrived, she just wasn't sure if he was right for her or if he was even interested.

"You don't mind?" she asked.

"No not at all, I don't have anyone else to worry about right now."

Jenna put her hand on her chin thinking about the day she had, it wasn't that bad, but it was one for the record books that was for sure. Hopefully she would not have to deal with it again but it was nice having someone listen to her about her day, no one seemed to want to do that around here since they were all stuck in Key West time.

"Well I did my usual morning surfing at seven this morning, sadly it didn't last long, it was low tide and I forgot how close I was to the reef. I wiped out, and nearly landed right on a rock. I was lucky not to get hurt, my board wasn't so lucky."

"Oh what happened?" Homer asked hanging onto every word.

"It got wedged between two rocks, I tried to break it free but it just would not loosen and the waves were starting to get rough. Well after a while I started tugging harder, but instead of getting it out, it snapped clean in half. So now I only have half a board, the rest is still in the reef somewhere. That was my favorite board of all time too, it's gonna be hard to find another one like it.

"Oh I'll be you will find one though, it won't replace it, but it will still help you do the thing you love."

Jenna gave Homer a smile, he was being very sweet right now and she kind of liked it, it made her wonder if he was always like this? "But that wasn't all, I had to go to work and apparently the guys competing in the sailboat tournament stayed there. You could tell which rooms the victors stayed in because they trashed seven of the rooms, and I was the only one who had to clean them up. It took me an hour longer to do and it was just awful, made me so mad and made me feel so dirty. Once I was finally done I just went home and took a shower and took a nice long nap, that's why I am a little late tonight."

"Well that's inconsiderate of those boaters, they should have at least tried to clean up after themselves, you don't have to take care of every little thing," Homer said.

"Well not everyone is as nice as you are, they think that because they are higher up they can walk all over you. Man I can't wait until I finally make enough money to go to college and earn my degree, then I will show everyone that I can be like them, only much nicer and considerate," Jenna said as she took her last sip of her cosmo before rubbing her tired eyes.

"Want me to get you another one?" Homer asked as he grabbed the glass.

"Please, and just bring it over to the piano, I think it's time I played some music," Jenna said as she got up and walked toward the piano hoping that perhaps she could do something right tonight. Hopefully her music talent wasn't off, that would be embarrassing.

While Homer worked on another Cosmopolitan, Roger returned from delivering a customer's order with a curious look on his face, no doubt wondering how things were going. "Any luck."

"Well I asked her how her day was, it wasn't a very good one, now she is playing the piano, I'm thinking about complimenting her on that, but how else should I ask her to go out with me?" Homer asked.

Roger rubbed his chin as he thought it over for a minute, he seemed to be winning her over, but now he just needed the final touch to ask her out. He had to think of a good one while the sound of the piano radiated throughout the bar. But then again did he really have to? He could always give Homer a bad one to say, she would slap him and then she would be all his, well if he was lucky at least. He stared back at Homer who was waiting eagerly for something to say. He looked like a young child waiting for his favorite ice cream cone. Nah he couldn't be a jerk to his good friend who took him in when things got tough at home.

"You know how to play the piano?" Roger asked.

"No, it looks interesting though," Homer replied.

"Well then, ask if she can teach you, chicks dig guys who can play an instrument," Roger said as he pushed Homer forward so he could get a move on.

Homer made his way toward Jenna, Cosmopolitan in hand along with many thoughts floating in his head. What would be the right thing to say to her? Was she even in the mood right now thanks to her day? It was all so strange to him and he blamed it on actually never having someone of the opposite sex. He finally reached Jenna as she played John Lennon's Imagine. A song he never really paid much attention to until he watched Jenna's fingers carefully press the right notes on the piano. Jenna only nodded as he set the drink down and instead of walking away from her, he stayed put and watched her play the song. Jenna seemed to notice this but did not stop playing; everyone else was probably watching too, it was just a normal routine for her.

Finally Homer grabbed a nearby chair and set it down a few feet from where he could see Jenna perfectly, Jenna noticed his presence and gave a little smirk as she continued to play. Homer only smiled as he admired her; she seemed as artistic as Marge was but more in the musical sense, and just as pretty. Jenna stopped after a few moments and Homer barely noticed she stopped until she looked straight at him wondering if everything was alright.

"Sorry Jenna, I just got caught in the moment," Homer said with a grin.

"You like John Lennon?" asked Jenna.

"Nah I was only a fan of the Beatles during their Sergeant Pepper tour," Homer said.

"Oh so their later work," Jenna said as she began to play around with the keys thinking about what to play next.

"Yeah," Homer replied nervously while he thought of how to continue the conversation, he wanted to ask but the last time he asked someone to teach him something it didn't end well. Of course, Jenna had been around long enough for him to get to know her but then again, he really was interested in the piano, unlike the French language. "So uhh…have you ever taught anyone how to play the piano?"

Jenna stopped practicing for a moment and stared back at Homer with curiosity. "You want to play?"

"That or the guitar,"

"My brother is the one who can do the guitar, I'm just the piano girl," Jenna gave a small chuckle.

"Of course he's not here, looks like I might as well go for the piano," Homer said with a grin.

"Well if you really want to, then come sit over here and I will show you," Jenna said as she got up and motioned for Homer to come sit next to her.

Homer jumped at the opportunity and quickly took a seat beside Jenna as she placed her right hand on the keys ready to show Homer how it was done. "Now watch my fingers closely." Homer watched as Jenna hit different keys with each finger creating a different note that sounded so amazing each time, luckily for him, Jenna only hit about ten keys before stopping. "Now put your hand out in front of the keys, do you remember where I pressed them?"

"Uhhh…well, I was watching but I can't really remember," Homer replied.

"That's quite alright, I'll do two at a time," Jenna replied.

Homer again watched as she hit a key and then pressed her finger on one of the black keys above it creating a slightly different sound. Seeing what she had done, Homer tried to do the same but instead created an entirely different sound than what he was expecting. He let out a loud d'oh before Jenna laughed.

"It's alright, you just used the wrong set of keys, just move them over one, now try it," Jenna said while Homer tried once again. This time he got them right and Homer let out a big grin. "Good now follow me again."

For the next hour, Homer followed Jenna as she showed him how to play the piano, hitting all kinds of notes and playing all kinds of songs. They were very easy songs to play, mainly "Pop Goes the Weasel" and "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." Not the kind of songs you would usually hear in a bar, but luckily for them it was a quiet night and most of the patrons were more into their liquor and discussing other things than listening to someone teach another how to play. Roger of course watched from the sidelines when he could, and when Moe arrived to give them their dinner breaks, he almost went over to yell at Homer, but Roger advised him not to. Homer was finally doing something right; Moe did not need to take that away from him. He was a good employee; he could goof off just this once.

After an hour, Jenna sensed that Homer was ready to call it quits; he was starting to talk about other things more and had hit a few sour notes in the process. An hour was good enough any way, there were plenty more opportunities to teach him, and besides she was suddenly in the mood for a nice moonlit walk on the beach, something she liked to do after a long hard day.

"Would you be willing to give me lessons again sometime?" Homer asked as Jenna got up and closed the part of the piano where the keys were.

"You still want to learn more?" asked Jenna.

"Yeah I think it's a fun hobby," Homer replied.

"Then I would be delighted to show you, but for now you probably have to go back," Jenna said.

Homer looked toward the bar where Roger was standing and watching them. Moe was right behind him grilling some snook and caring less about what was going on behind him. He could sense that things were fine the way they were, this sort of thing happened before when Barney wasn't feeling well. And before they even arrived, Moe had only Mick to help, they would be fine without him, it wasn't busy at all tonight.

"It looks like things are going fine, I don't think they really need me," Homer said.

"Oh, well then you want to go for a walk on the beach with me?" Jenna asked in a curious tone.

Homer gave Jenna a huge smile; he did not even have to say yes, that smile was enough for him to say that he was willing to follow her anywhere. Jenna was more than happy to have him come along. Quickly they made their way out of the bar toward the nearby beach that was usually hopping with tourists during the daytime. Tonight though, there was nothing but quiet solitude, the waves were calm and peaceful and a full moon illuminated on the water.

Jenna led the way with Homer close behind her, watching her every move and wondering, just wondering what was on her mind. Was she interested in him or was she just taking pity and letting him come along for the evening? He had no idea, but he did know that sooner or later one of them would start talking. But they continued on down the beach in silence, watching the waves and enjoying the cool night air. After a while, Jenna walked up to an old log and sat down, Homer followed suit.

"Isn't it a beautiful night, the waves are calm, the air is cool, and the stars are out shining brightly. What could be better," Jenna finally said with a sigh.

"Maybe having the one you like sitting beside you," Homer replied without thinking. He quickly covered his mouth in embarrassment.

Jenna stared back at Homer with a smirk on her face. She sort of knew that Homer liked her; she was just waiting for him to open up and tell her. "Oh? And who is this person you like, is she sitting next to you, or is she back in your old home?"

Homer gulped, he knew what she was getting at, the only problem was, the person he really did like was back in Springfield, well Capitol City for a few more years, with another man. He was out of luck with her, but he did have a chance with the one next to him at that moment, and she seemed to be accepting him.

"What would you say if I told you that they were sitting next to me?" Homer asked in a shy voice.

"Well…" Jenna began. "First I would look into his eyes to see if he was telling the truth, then I would tell him that I am glad he finally wanted to spend time with me, you want to know why?"

"Why?" Homer asked this time with a little more curiosity in his voice as he stared back into Jenna's lovely brown eyes.

"Because when we first met, I knew there was something between us, I just had to wait and see if it wasn't just me," Jenna said with a smile.

"It wasn't just you," Homer smiled back as she took her hand and kissed it.

"What took you so long?" Jenna joked.

Homer rubbed the back of his neck nervously, could he tell Jenna he still thought about the girl he liked? No that would only upset her and make her jealous. He would be down here for a long time and he needed someone to be close with, someone who would listen to him when things were not going well, just like he had done for her only an hour before. They needed each other.

"I was waiting for the right moment," Homer replied as he faced Jenna and held her hands staring straight into her eyes.

"You couldn't pick a better moment than this," Jenna said. "Now tell me, have you ever kissed a girl?"

"Umm…years ago, when I was ten at a summer camp, we kissed out by the lake, under a full moon like this. I can't even remember her name, she left early," Homer sighed as he remembered that night almost ten years ago now. Was he really almost twenty and still had not found someone to fall in love with?

"You're telling me you never dated in high school?" Jenna asked surprised.

"Well I almost did, but she left with someone else for prom," Homer replied.

"What a bitch!"

"_What a beautiful bitch," _Homer thought. "Yeah I know, I just wasn't popular."

"That's hard to believe. Well I think we should fix that, I am going to make sure this will be the most wonderful night of your entire life, come with me," Jenna said as she grabbed Homer by the hand and raced toward a nearby pier.

"Are we going to have sex or something?" Homer asked as Jenna dragged him along.

"We have to kiss first silly," Jenna cried out.

Homer ran as fast as his legs could carry him through the sand, following Jenna toward their destination under the nearby pier. Why Jenna did not want to kiss right then and there was sort of confusing but since Jenna had fallen in love before, she probably knew all the tricks.

Of course Jenna was much faster than Homer and reached the pier moments before him, she stood against a railing waiting patiently for him to arrive and catch his breath. Homer of course had to take a few minutes to do so, even though he had been fishing a lot recently, he still wasn't the best runner.

"I thought you were healthier than that," Jenna said.

"I'm not a runner," Homer replied as he took a deep breath and came closer to Jenna.

"Now I know this is a pier, but whenever I walk under it, I always think of that song by The Drifters," Jenna said.

"I've Got Sand in My Shoes?" Homer asked in a surprised voice.

Jenna laughed. "No, Under the Boardwalk, remember that song?"

"Under the boardwalk down by the sea," Homer sang.

"On a blanket with my baby, where I'll be," Jenna continued.

"Under the boardwalk, out of the sun  
under the boardwalk we'll be having some fun  
under the boardwalk people walking above  
under the boardwalk we'll be falling in…"

Homer turned toward Jenna once he realized what that song really was about, and that he realized how much he cared about the girl he was standing in front of. She really was beautiful; with her brown hair up in a pony tail and a smile that reminded him so much of Marge, yet was still so very different from her. But just like Marge, she was leaving him breathless.

"Love," Jenna finished as she moved closer to Homer.

And before Homer even knew it, he had his arms wrapped around Jenna, eyes meeting hers as both knew what was about to come next. Both stayed transfixed in that one spot for a few more moments realizing that they both had someone and that things were perfect. For the first time, Homer actually felt wanted and happier than he ever had been. The night of the prom was now beginning to fade into a faraway memory, and perhaps he would one day look back and laugh at such a stupid night.

Finally both felt the time was right to stop staring and to just go for it. Seconds later, their lips locked together as both held each other closely in a great feeling of love. A love that was under the closest thing to a boardwalk, beneath a starry sky, next to the ocean, that was illuminated by the moon.

* * *

A/N: Holy crap look how long this chapter was! Any way I hope I did this chapter justice, took me a bit to get it right especially the part where she is teaching him how play the piano, but I think I did okay. So now Homer has found love, but will it last? You'll just have to keep reading to find out. For now though, please review when you can and I hope to update again very soon.

Oh and before I forget I would like to welcome 8thweasleykid into this story and thank him for all those reviews you sent. That was definitely a surprise when I opened my mail. Hope you enjoy and stay with us. And thank you to everyone else who has been reviewing, you guys make my day. Oh and The Simpsons Fan, I will try and keep it from being too much like The Wife Aquatic, maybe just a little.


	13. Booze and Fireworks

It was the fourth of July, but not just any Fourth of July, it was the bicentennial of the United States so of course this day was a much bigger deal than the past years. Moe had closed the bar for the day, no one really went to his or Patrick's bar any way. It was the Tropical Island Bar everyone chose to visit, it was nice and big for the many people who wanted to go in groups, and it was a great place for Moe and Patrick to take their rivalry further and have a drunk match.

The rules of the match were simple, find your most potent drink on the menu, and then make the rivals crony drink as many shots as he could without passing out. Patrick had won two years in a row so far thanks to Bruce and his ability to be barely drunk by the time Mick had about seven shots of Moe's specialty and could barely see straight. This year, Moe hoped to use Barney and had talked Patrick into using Ian instead of Bruce, just for a change of pace since Moe was sort of doing the same thing.

The boys were amazed at how busy it was as they made their way into the huge bar that could hold more people than Moe's or Patrick's put together. Moe ran to the back to get the seat he wanted for the competition, the boys followed him, hoping that Barney would be up to the challenge. Homer brought Jenna along for company and to also skip out with her later, they didn't want to be there long. While Roger was eager to watch his new girlfriend Karyn play with the band. He, unfortunately, did not meet her until after Valentine's Day, so of course Homer and the others had to hear about how miserable he was. Well Barney and Moe did, Homer was out with Jenna at a lovely restaurant in Miami.

Barney still had not found anyone and he was perfectly fine with that, he liked working and learned how to handle Moe's specialty drinks, so tonight he was ready for whatever Moe threw at him. At the moment though, he was eyeing the buffet table with all the delicious treats. He knew he could not drink so much on an empty stomach, so it was best to chow down. Of course he could not resist joking around with Homer when he saw the punch bowl at the end of the table.

"Hey Homer, I see they have a punch bowl, wanna go spike it?" Barney laughed.

"Of course not, I'm not that stupid to do that again." Homer replied while he scanned the buffet table wondering if they had any of those yummy cocktail weenies he liked.

"What did you do?" Jenna asked in a surprised voice. This was a story she had not heard before.

"Oh I just got a little drunk during a graduation party, it's in the past, I'd rather not talk about it," Homer replied as he rubbed his hands together hoping that the topic would go away.

"But it was so funny seeing you eye the girls bosoms," Barney replied.

"Heh, heh, bosoms," Roger giggled.

"Barney shut up!" Homer replied while Jenna tried her hardest not to laugh. If her boyfriend was embarrassed then it was probably best to leave it be.

"Well I'm gonna go over there and get myself some finger sandwiches and chips and dip, if you want to join me you may," Barney said as he walked off in a huff.

Homer blew at his bangs in frustration before turning back to Jenna who was now busy watching the local band come up and start playing. Jenna looked around for Karyn and soon found her behind the stands setting up the drums and looking very excited to play tonight. It wasn't long before Roger was up and went straight toward the stage to greet his girlfriend for the evening.

Barney returned a few moments later with a huge plate of food and immediately started to chow down while Moe, Homer and Jenna watched in amazement at how much he was eating, he apparently really wanted to get this challenge over with.

"Hey Barn, I don't want you to explode now, save that for when you beat Ian," Moe said.

"Hey it's not good to be drunk and be on an empty stomach, I need to be focused for you," Barney said.

"Well I'm proud you want to do that then," Moe replied as he continued to watch with fascination.

Homer stared at the food that was still on his friend's plate, and there was a mighty fine looking chicken wing on the edge that seemed to call out to him. Hoping Barney was not paying attention he tried to take it off his plate, but apparently Barney noticed and grabbed a nearby fork which he slammed down on Homer's palm. Homer stared at the fork that was now embedded into his hand before letting out a surprised yelp.

"Uhh I guess he doesn't want any help," Jenna replied.

"But did he have to stab me?" Homer asked as he nursed his injured palm.

Moe didn't say anything; he was too distracted now by Patrick who had just walked in with Ian and Bruce. Ian looked like he was ready to take on anything as he came into the room carrying his head high and walking in like he owned the place, Patrick must have given him an interesting pep talk. Moe only glared at them as they made their way to the table.

"Well good evening Moe, ready for another ass whippin'?" Patrick said as he sat next to Moe and put his arm around his shoulder.

"Of course not, for I have Barney the magnificent!" Moe replied as he pushed Patrick off of him and revealed Barney still enjoying his buffet dinner. Barney looked up for a second while he chowed down on some chips, salsa covering his face. "Legend has it that in senior year of high school, he once drank a whole six pack in five minutes, and didn't even get drunk," Moe replied with a sly smile hoping that it was enough for the guys to feel lower and not as superior.

"Big deal, Ian here drank a whole bottle of Jack Daniel's without stopping and was still coherent," Patrick replied, while Ian puffed up with pride.

"Oh really, musta been those little containers that barely hold anything at all, he's too puny to even drink that much," Moe said, he knew from experience how much people could drink in his bar.

"Well then I am here to prove you wrong," Patrick said as he waved at Jacob main guy in charge at the Tropical Island Bar. Jacob was waiting for them to call them over and grabbed a pen and paper to go hear what the two bar tenders wanted. This was going to be an interesting night.

"So boys, what main ingredient do you need," Jacob asked.

"I need a bottle of vodka, bailey's, bourbon, and the strongest whiskey you got," Patrick said as he stared at Moe, not taking his eye off his rival.

"Very good, and for you Moe?" Jacob asked.

"Hawaiian Punch, Amaretto, Kahlua, Jagermeister, and as much Everclear as you got!" Moe said as he did the same to Patrick, never leaving his field of vision.

Homer stared back at Barney nervously, he had seen his friend quaff down on beer, and take a few shots of Jagermeister and whiskey. But he had never seen him drink Everclear, and he wondered if his best friend could handle it, he had seen the effects of it after someone had drunk too much at the bar and it wasn't pretty. Of course Barney seemed better built than the ones he had seen, but he still wasn't sure. Hopefully Moe would not give him too much.

It wasn't long before the ingredients arrived and both Moe and Patrick went to work mixing up their concoctions into pitchers so they could poor them into the shot glasses when the game began. It was a simple game really; the two bartenders each had two of their own type of drink that they considered potent. For Moe it was the Grizzly Bear and potent drink that contained amaretto, Jagermeister, Kahlua and some milk. The other was even more potent, the dreaded Kick in the Crotch, named after Mick who drank more than he realized one evening. All it contained was Everclear and Hawaiian Punch. It would take a while for the drink to really affect him and that's why Moe chose it, hopefully Ian would be down before Barney had more than he bargained for.

As for Patrick, he had his own special concoctions; one was Road Kill, containing Bourbon, some rum and Irish whiskey. The other was Shot in the Dark, vodka, Baileys, and Kahlua. All four of them sounded potent but how long both would finish it was anyone's guess. They would take the first shot, let it move down their throat and then put the glass upside down the table as a way of letting the bartenders know they were ready for another. Both drinkers were new to this, so no one was sure what was going to happen, but some people were placing bets and most of those bets were going to Barney.

Once the two bartenders had their concoctions mixed, the battle was ready to begin. Moe poured the first shot, using the least potent one first, the Grizzly Bear which he set in front of Barney. Patrick poured the Road Kill and set it in front of Ian. They were not to drink it yet, they had to wait for the signal.

"Alright boys it's time to see who has the better drink, rules are as follows: drink all that is in the shot glass, wait until the opponent is finished with his shot before you begin the next round, giving up will result in losing the game, and finally hold onto your hats, it's time to begin. On your mark, get set…go!" Jacob called out.

Barney and Ian grabbed their shots, held them firmly in their hands and drank it down. Both took a moment to feel the effects of the drink slowly go from their tongues, through their esophagus and into the stomach; later the drinks would reach the bloodstream but not quite yet. Finally once they both felt satisfied with the drink, they set the shot glass down and waited for another.

Homer and Jenna watched intently as Barney took another shot of the Grizzly Bear while everyone around them cheered loudly for both of them to keep going. Both seemed to know what they were doing as they showed no signs of slowing down and both seemed to keep their cool about them. After the fifth shot, Barney was showing no signs of slowing down while poor Ian had to take a moment to think about it before setting his shot glass right side up. Of course he was the lucky one who was not getting Everclear, which was about to be next for Barney as they were ready to bring the most potent drink out.

Of course now the table was getting crowded, and even though Homer was Barney's best friend, he had been pushed to the back where he could barely see his friend duke it out with the rival bartender. He tried to see over the masses but it was no use and looked over at Jenna with a frustrated look.

"This place is getting crowded isn't it," Jenna said.

"Yeah I wasn't expecting it to get this crazy," Homer replied as he tried to scoot into the crowd again, Jenna grabbed him by the arm.

"I bet they won't miss you if we sneak out for a bit," Jenna said as she tried to push Homer toward the door.

"But that's my friend, he probably wants me to stay there and help," Homer said nervously.

"Oh he won't know by the end of this, besides, Roger is not even watching either, he's busy learning the guitar from Karyn," Jenna said as she pointed toward the stage where Roger was sitting next to Karyn and had just created a horrible flat note, making Homer wince.

"Alright, where do you want to go?" Homer asked.

Jenna only smiled. "Follow me."

* * *

It wasn't surprising to see hundreds of boats out on the water, fireworks were planned to be set off once it got dark enough so of course everyone was anchored out near the shore waiting for the festivities to commence. Jenna was not one of them though; she weaved in and out among the many boats that were lined up in Mick's old fishing boat that he no longer used. He had given it to her a few years ago for her to fish in and she was proud of her little boat, proud enough for her to take Homer to a special place she liked to go to on nights like this.

Homer held on, wondering where Jenna was taking him and if he would return in time to see who the victor was of the great American chug off. But after a while, the thoughts of his friends back on the island had long since been forgotten and he was enjoying the salty sea breeze as it blew into his face. Of course he had never been out this late so it was natural to still be a little cautious about the whole idea.

"Uhhh…Jenna, where are we going exactly?" he asked after he noticed that he had not seen any boats for about five minutes.

"Norman Key, it's near the place where you caught that shark during thanksgiving weekend," Jenna replied.

"Oh yeah, but why are we going out so far?" Homer asked.

"You'll find out eventually, Homer, don't worry," Jenna said as she kept her eyes on the horizon yet knowing her boyfriend was still a little nervous about being so far out.

Norman Key held a special place in both Jenna and Mick's heart. It's a small island, only about the size of one city block, and so far no one has actually tried to claim it since most of the island is underwater during high tide. It was named after an old northerner who came down from New York a few years ago due to ill health. He had hoped that the warm weather would help him and his fragile heart, and he would often stop by Moe's for a quick drink in the evening. But the quick drink usually lasted longer than planned; Mick would often get into long discussions with the man about life and love, leaving Mick wanting to know more every time he left. Jenna had even gotten a few pointers from him and loved his company. He especially loved her key lime pie too.

But like many great things, Norman's fragile heart could not be fixed, and after two years of trying to return to better health, Norman passed away. He was eighty-nine, a good age for someone like him, but Mick and Jenna knew he could have lived to be one hundred. Mick was so distraught over his death that he just sailed away for a day and found himself on the island, one that was not even listed on the map. He believed Norman brought him here to remember the old guy and after spending a whole day on it just thinking, he left the island, naming it after him and visiting as often as he could. Now that he was on tour with his music, it was Jenna's duty to carry on that tradition and usually she went every Monday morning just before work to just sit and contemplate; now it was time to bring a visitor.

When Jenna finally reached the island, she parked the boat up against the branch of a mangrove tree, and started to climb up the branches. Homer watched her go up with fascination and wondering what it was that she was doing exactly.

"Well aren't you coming up?" Jenna asked.

"Oh I just thought you were collecting fruit or nuts or something," Homer replied as he scrambled on up the branches.

"Oh I don't need to worry about that since I already got one," Jenna laughed.

Homer only grinned at her, she had such a fun sense of humor and that's what he liked most about her. As quickly as he could, he made his way up the tree until he was sitting right next to her staring out into Caribbean with the lights of Key West shining far out on the horizon while the sun began to set.

"We can watch the fireworks from here and maybe even talk about the future," Jenna said once Homer was settled in next to her.

"The future? What do you mean by that?" Homer asked. "Are you thinking about making a better version of your key lime pie?"

Jenna could not help but shove Homer lightly, just enough to make him nervous without him falling off the tree. "No silly, have you ever stopped to think about what you want to do for the rest of your life, where you want to go, who you want to share it with?"

"Truthfully…" Homer began with excitement in his voice before thinking about it and then replying in a rather dejected way. "No not really, I just think about having fun working at the bar, fishing and relaxing on the beach, what more do you want?"

"But do you really want to live like this forever? I mean as soon as I get enough money from work, I'm going to college and get my business degree. I might have to go outside of Florida for that which means you might never see me again, unless you want to come with me," Jenna said as she fluttered her eyelids.

"Well I hear Springfield has a pretty good college for that, maybe I can bring you there, you can meet my hometown, my father, all my other friends, where I grew up, the whole nine yards," Homer said.

"Well that's a thought, but what about you, don't you want to get a degree and work somewhere where you can make more money. You can't live like this forever though; you never know how much more our love will grow."

"Huh? What?" Homer asked a little surprised about where this conversation was going.

"Well maybe one day we will want to get married, maybe even have kids."

"Oh dear…I never actually...really…uh…thought about that," Homer replied nervously, he only thought about having a girlfriend, now even though they had been together for seven months she was already thinking about moving forward, it just seemed to sudden to him and he really had no idea what to say. Of course he still thought about Marge and it made him wonder if she ever thought about marriage and kids to Artie. Maybe it was better to be single, kids just didn't sound very appealing to him at the moment. Especially not after an incident back in May where a family let their kids run lose in the bar.

"Don't worry Homer, I don't want to do it right away, like I said, maybe after I am done with college, of course that's gonna be years from now. But I know people who have been together for years and are happy just being they couple they are. Maybe that's the right thing to do; you know make sure we really love each other."

"Yeah I uh…think so too."

Jenna let out a smile, she could see that she started a conversation that was too sudden for Homer and apparently wasn't ready to think about it yet. "You're cute when you are nervous, but I'll let you think about it some more, for now though I think it's time to have some fun."

Homer was so lost in thought now that he did not notice that Jenna had taken her top off and dove right into the water under the tree. He still could not believe she had suggested all that stuff and now he was nervous and unsure if he could do anything like that. He came to Key West to work, have a good time, and find a girlfriend, he had totally forgotten about the future commitment involved.

"Homer! Get down here, the water is great!" Jenna called.

Homer shook himself back to reality and looked down at Jenna; apparently she was missing a few items on her person, and knew why once he saw her tank top sitting on the branch next to him. Yeah it was better just to live for the moment right now, the future could wait, tonight was just a fun night.

"Nah I think I will stay up here and keep your tank top hostage," Homer replied with a grin as he took the tank top off the branch.

"Oh really, what's the ransom?" Jenna asked.

"Oh I don't know, maybe a nice big snuggle later," Homer grinned.

"We could have one now you know, no one is here," Jenna called.

"Oh yeah, we haven't done it this way before," Homer called back before he took off his shirt and pants and dived right in.

Moments later, under the watchful eye of several fruit bats in the trees, two young lovers were skinny dipping in the pale moonlight while the two hundred year old celebration of America went into full swing as the fireworks danced around them.

* * *

Hours later, the two lovers made their way back to the key soaking wet but with their clothes on. Jenna brought the boat toward the dock and noticed a lone figure standing nearby waiting for them. It was Roger and he looked rather worried.

"Geeze you two run off leaving Moe and Barney to fend for themselves, thank God no fights erupted," Roger said.

"Oh really, what happened?" Homer asked as he made his way out of the boat.

"Well Barney won the competition after Ian took his sixth Shot in the Dark and went down. Barney just kept drinking that Kick in the Crotch after though just to show his toughness. Let's just say he ended up barfing in the flowerbed outside before fainting," Roger.

"Oh dear is he alright?" Jenna asked.

"The doctor said he will be fine in the morning once his stomach is done being pumped," Roger replied as he rolled his eyes.

"Aww great he's in the hospital?" Homer cried out.

"Yeah and Moe would like to have a word with you for skipping out on him like that, he's not pleased but hey looks like you two had a fun time either way," Roger said as he noticed how wet both his friends were.

"We did though now I am thinking about running back there, just to avoid Moe," Homer said.

"Heh after listening to him yell at me for not watching you guys, I would make that a good suggestion," Roger said.

"I'll handle it and tell him it was my fault, I've done it before and usually he backs down to a pretty girl like me," Jenna said slyly as she started walking away with a sway in her step.

Roger and Homer watched her make her way over to Roger's car, both of them eyeing her with interest as her butt swayed back and forth thanks to her wet shorts.

"Homer, I got to admit, you are one lucky guy."

* * *

A/N: Alright I know I should have ended it a few paragraphs ago but I just wanted to let everyone know what happened to Barney in the end. I have witnessed what everclear does too and it's not a fun drink, believe me, happened exactly a year ago too, man that was a weird night, Star Wars and Star Trek stuff everywhere! So yeah this was kind of a naughty chapter with all the booze and the best kind of PG-13 rating for skinny dipping. But now we will have to move ahead into the story, the next chapter is moving ahead two more years to 1978 and its time to catch up with Artie and Marge, yup you are finally seeing those two again, so yay.

Also thank you to UndeadSamurai for my 100th review! Also to Lucy E. Curtis Simpson Griffin and The Simpsons Fan, I am going to have to disagree with you about the fact that the kids don't look like their parents. I think they do, just look at their noses, same kind of noses. And another thing, check out Girls Just Want to Have Sums, one of the newer episodes, I saw screenshots of it a while back after not seeing it for a long time and Lisa was wearing a wig to look like a boy, I thought it was Homer was first. So yeah check that out.


	14. Temptation

Artie Ziff nonchalantly let the eraser of his pencil bounce up and down while listening to the head boss talk to the interns about being a good employee, and how to become a bright individual with new ideas for the companies they work for. Typical for a Friday, this was nothing new to Artie; he was an intern and had to learn the basics of technology and computer sciences. He of course had already learned most of these things in the courses he took during his four years in college, but he knew that the boss was only teaching it because this was an internship.

Still though, it was better than working on spreadsheets all day and working with the new computers the company bought that always seemed to crash. Thank God he only had two more months to go, then he could finally graduate and get a real job. It was a good learning experience but oftentimes a real bore, he just wanted to finish college now, he was done with his studies and was now wasting time with this internship just to make sure he got a good job right away.

If it wasn't for Marge, he would actually stay with the company in Capitol City and get a good job opportunity once the internship was over. But Marge wanted to go back to Springfield after graduation, to be near family and to work for the community college there as an assistant professor. Sometimes Artie wished she wasn't so family oriented so he could go further out, but that was a girl for you, always wanting to be closer to family.

It was hard to imagine that he had been with her now for four years on Tuesday; time seemed to really fly by. For the first two years in college, they lived in separate dorms but always found the time to be together to study and talk things over. During their second year, Marge got a job at a nearby café as a waitress while Artie worked in the work study program helping the technology department with any issues they had. By the end of that second year, both decided it was time to get a place of their own and moved into an apartment together nearby. It was much quieter place and they usually had more time to be together. To Artie, he believed he could live there forever and be content, but unfortunately that was not meant to be, unless he wanted split with her and that was out of the question. He liked her too much.

Now that it has been four years since they were together, Artie wanted to celebrate the occasion as soon as he was done with work. They were going to a nice French restaurant downtown; he had already made reservations and knew that it would be a wonderful night, if only the stupid class would not drag on for so long. Artie let out a sigh and put down his pencil before rummaging through his coat pocket and pulled out a dark blue velvet box. Slowly he opened it to reveal a diamond ring sparkling up at him with wonderful radiance. Artie smiled; tonight he was finally going to propose.

"Nice ring," a voice next to him said.

It was Neal, another intern he worked with and one who looked just as bored as him. Artie only smiled back before whispering that he wanted to propose. Neal nodded in agreement before winking at him; he seemed to like the idea.

After a few moments of looking at his special ring, Artie quickly put it back into his pocket and continued to listen to the lecture. But not for long though, he kept drifting off into space, thinking about how to propose to her. He had practiced by himself many times while in the shower or on a slow day in the cubicle working on the spreadsheets. He hoped the best idea to propose would work, he had been with Marge for a long time now and it was time to stop beating around the bush. He knew she loved him back but there was always that one feeling in the pit of the stomach that said otherwise, of course he tried to ignore it and let his heart do the talking.

The hours continued to drag, and Artie kept finding himself looking down at his watch every five minutes or so. Of course the class would end two hours before the work day had ended so as soon as this was done, he still had two more hours left to go. What a drag this was. Of course he was not the only one who was bored out of their mind, Neal was now doodling on his scratch paper and two girls were giggling about something nearby. Today was definitely not the day for teaching, that was for darn sure.

Artie continued to stare around the room at all the interns and their lack of interest in learning, only one person seemed to be paying attention, but that was only because he was the brown noser of the bunch and already had a place in the company, no one cared about him and usually just ignored him. Artie then heard a woman clear her throat, not in the normal way either but in a way that said: "I'm over here, look at me." Artie turned to the direction of the sound and saw Olivia Winters sitting a few spots away, and she was eyeing him.

Artie knew Olivia well; actually most of the office did, mainly because of her reputation. Olivia had long blonde hair, a very thin body and a rear that everyone stared at as she made her way to and from the copy room. Of course it wasn't hard to miss; it swayed back and forth with the help of her mini skirt and long silky legs. The only thing missing on her was the busoms, but no one really cared, she was still sexy. Rumors were even spread around the office by the girls that she had her way with every guy in the internship, some of the guys said it was true, but most of them flat out denied it, it was their own business no one else's. Another rumor was that she was also a stripper in the bad part of town, no one had actually checked if this was true, mainly because no one really wanted to visit that part of town unless they were suicidal.

What was really strange though, and amazingly no one knew about it, was that Olivia really liked Artie. She was sometimes around him, but not enough to notice that there was something going on. Of course Artie tried to steer away from her, but Olivia was persistent and at the moment she was trying to get his attention.

Artie looked over at her; she was staring back at him, nibbling on the eraser of her pencil and giving him a sly smile. Artie smiled nervously back before looking back down at his notes, hoping that she would not bother him too much. He had been tempted way too many times with her and succeeded once in doing the unthinkable. He really did not want to do that again, he was so guilty for several days that Marge got worried about him. Luckily he never told her, but apparently once was not enough to Olivia. Olivia seemed to get his message though, he looked up at her again and she was now looking back down at her notes too and staying on task. Hopefully she would be like that the rest of the day.

The hours finally ticked by and everyone was ready to race out the door and finish the jobs they had started on all week. Nothing was due quite yet, but it was good to get things done early and not worry about last minute things. Artie tried to sneak out of the room undetected by Olivia but apparently he did not see her leave and she was waiting for him out in the hall with a big smile on her face. He looked around for a way to escape, but unfortunately most of the interns had dissipated and she would only follow if he tried to go the other way.

"Boring class wasn't it," Artie said nervously hoping she would walk away.

"Yeah it was, thank goodness you were there, the view gets so boring," Olivia said as she followed Artie toward his cubicle.

"Well I'm glad you enjoy my face, but now it is time for it to hide in our little dungeons. I got work to do," Artie replied as he tried to move faster for her to get the hint.

"Oh Artie, do you really want to work anymore than you have to today?" Olivia asked as she kept the pace with him.

"Yes I do, I want to get finished quickly so I can go out to dinner with Marge tonight," Artie replied. He hoped that mentioning Marge would get her to leave, it had worked the first few times, but now she just didn't seem to care that there was another lady in his life.

"Oh why would you want to go out with her, when you have someone like me?" Artie flinched as Olivia began to rub his shoulders, hoping to get him to stop what he was doing and pay attention to her. After a few seconds of wondering how he should get out of this, Artie knew he couldn't do a thing and just let her massage his shoulders. "Doesn't that feel nice?"

"It sure does, you have some amazing hands," Artie replied.

"And you as well, I could use them now myself," Olivia said as she stopped massaging her shoulders and turned around for Artie to go ahead and massage her.

Artie turned around as she was pushing her long blonde hair to the side to reveal her long gorgeous neck. She was wearing a sleeveless shirt so her shoulders stood out making it easy for Artie to go right ahead and massage her back. Olivia let out a small groan of satisfaction before finally turning around at the right moment for Artie to touch her on her chest. Artie looked down, surprised while Olivia stared back with a fake surprise before letting out a giggle.

"Mr. Ziff, I never knew you were that into me," Olivia giggled.

"Oh...um…well…actually that is to say…" Artie began as he tried to keep a straight face.

"Oh don't be so modest, come with me," Olivia said as she grabbed Artie by the hand and dragged him down the hall and out to the parking lot.

Olivia's car was in the far corner of the complex, under a shady tree and away from prying eyes. She always parked it here and every so often she would bring a man over to her car just to make things interesting while at work. Artie was no exception to this, it already happened once, and it looked like it was about to happen again. Olivia unlocked the door then opened the back door where she quickly jumped in and sat on the very end, waiting for Artie to join her.

"So you wanna do some work here this afternoon?" Olivia said with seduction in her voice.

Artie looked back at her, her legs were bare up to her thigh and one of her shoulder straps had now fallen down revealing a little more than what she was supposed to. It was amazing how no one in the intern department had said anything about her style, maybe it was because she found a way to have her way with them too. It was too much for Artie not to ignore and before he even had a second thought, he jumped right into the car and shut the door behind him.

For a moment he sat on the one side staring at Olivia as she stared back batting her eyelashes and waiting for him to advance. Of course Artie liked to wait a moment before making the move, he did it all the time with Marge and it always seemed to make the moment more fun and entertaining. Olivia let out a sigh and let her shoe fall off her foot before stretching it and rubbing her toe on Artie's shoulder. Artie smiled at her for a moment before he grabbed her foot and began to massage it. Olivia sighed with satisfaction before slumping a little further in the seat going a little closer to Artie to let him know it was time to go further.

"Oh Artie," Olivia said as she wiggled her finger at him to get him to come closer.

Artie grinned and loosened his tie before moving forward while Olivia sat back up and let him kiss her on the cheek before she pounced on him and tore off the tie and started loosening his belt. Artie only embraced her around the neck, letting her do her thing for a few moments. He was already starting to enjoy this little game of hooky until Olivia stopped what she was doing.

"Artie, take off your coat, it's going to chafe me," She said in a rather sexy voice.

"Oh right, yeah it's gonna get a little too hot in here if I don't," Artie replied as he took off his coat. As he did so, he tried to take it off quickly so as not to keep Olivia waiting, but of course since he was in a car, things were tight and he could barely maneuver enough with Olivia right there in front of him too. But as he did so, he tried to take it off with enough force to send the ring box flying out of his pocket and onto the front seat.

"What was that?" Olivia asked in a startled voice.

Artie did not say anything but jumped to the seat to figure out what had fallen out of his pocket. It was sitting on the middle of the seat, as clear as day, still closed though, but there nonetheless. Artie opened it for a second to make sure the ring really was in there, luckily it did not fall out somehow, it was still sitting there, shiny as ever.

"Oh and who is this for?" Olivia said with a grin as she quickly took the ring box out of Artie's hands.

"Olivia please, I paid a lot of money for that," Artie said nervously as he tried to grab the box out of her hands but it remained just out of her reach.

"Wow this is pretty, fourteen carats too," Olivia said as she eyed the ring and tried to take it out of the box. Artie quickly grabbed it out of her hands.

Artie held the box with the ring in his hand and stared at the ring for a long moment, realizing that what he was doing right now was not only wrong, but breaking something that he had wanted to do that evening. He could not believe he was being so stupid. It was just like that time with Olivia months ago; he had gone even further than what he had just done. Thank God the ring saved it.

"I uh…I have to go," Artie said as he jumped out of the car and slammed the door as Olivia tried to catch up to him.

"You'd rather give that ring to that girl," Olivia cried as she ran toward him after exiting the car.

"Yes I would Olivia, now please leave me alone," Artie said never taking his eyes away from the doors ahead of him.

"But you told me last time that I was yours, that one day we would be together forever! You made that promise Artie and you said you would stand by it even with Marge around," Olivia cried out angrily.

Artie stopped in his tracks and turned back at Olivia, annoyance in his eyes. "Well ideas change, and you need to as well, now go find some other poor defenseless bastard to hump." And without another glance he made his way back into the building leaving Olivia standing there nursing her pride.

"No matter what Artie Ziff, one day you will be mine."

* * *

The rest of the few hours Artie had left at work went on without a hitch and he was glad to finally leave it. He felt so dirty now and he wondered if he had time for a shower before going out to dinner with Marge, it was five in the afternoon and people would be flocking to the restaurant by now, maybe it was good to wait an extra hour before going out and just enjoying the night in a more quiet tone. As he drove down the road, he realized that he had left his tie in Olivia's car, hopefully Marge would not notice it was missing, if she did, he would just explain that he left it at work because it got really hot in the building. Yeah that was a good excuse.

It didn't take long to get back home, probably because his mind was filled with the thoughts of what he had done just a few hours ago. He could not believe he nearly had an affair with someone else on the same night he would propose to Marge. What a stupid thing to do, someone else could have seen him. And what about his hair, was it mussed up now. Artie looked at himself in the rearview mirror, there were a few curls sticking out here and there on his now descending afro, but nothing too noticeable, he could fix that up with a little gel and his special comb.

Finally he stepped out of the car and closed the door before standing there in front of the apartment complex wondering if Marge was still getting ready. But did he really deserve her right now after what he had done? Well he had been with her for four years now, and he only did what he did because his hormones were acting up. Hopefully it wouldn't happen again as long as he kept his hands in his pockets and kept Marge on his mind, he could do it. Finally he let out a heavy sigh and made his way to the apartment.

"Margie sweetheart! I'm home!" He called out happily.

But the living room was deserted, Marge was not sitting there waiting for him, everything was quiet. He could hear the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen but nothing else. She had to be home though; he saw her car out front.

"Margie?" Artie called.

"I'm in the bedroom Artie," Marge finally called out.

Artie let out a smile and raced over to the bedroom with great excitement. A thought came to his mind that she was on the bed, dressed in her finest waiting for him to snuggle with her before dinner. The perfect thing to do while stalling for time, it sounded like fun, making love to the girl he loved after what he had done earlier. But as soon as he entered the room, he was startled to find Marge rummaging through her closet, not dressed in any formalwear but just a regular t-shirt and jeans, and a suitcase already half filled with her things sitting on the bed.

* * *

A/N: Yeah that's right, I got a little cliff hanger for you. Did Marge see what went on earlier? You won't know until later. Short chapter too I know but originally it was going to involve Artie doing the naughty with Olivia and then what is going to happen in the next chapter all in one chapter. But after writing the Olivia thing, I found it interesting so I expanded it into this. Took me longer too mainly because I've got a lot on my mind right now, it's hard to think about the fun things when you want to change something in your life. So if I suddenly don't update for a few weeks, I have a reason and don't worry I will return with more for you. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long for this next update.

Other than that I hope you enjoyed my second chapter involving making out, tried to make it PG-13 again, I really don't want to send this story to the M section. And don't worry I won't do this kind of thing again for a while so everyone's eyes are safe again. Other than that please review and have a great day.


	15. Sadness and Hope

Artie could only stand and stare at the suitcase that lay before him. He had no idea what was going on, yet he sensed that it had something to do with him. Was Marge planning a surprise visit today only to see him with another woman? That seemed like the most likely reason for Marge's sudden urge to pack, she knew about the dinner tonight so there could not be another explanation other than that she saw something.

"Uhhh…I can explain…" Artie said nervously wondering how he could actually explain something as bad as he had just done.

Marge grabbed a pair of jeans hanging in the closet and brought it over to the suitcase before wiping a tear from her eye. She then sat down next to it and looked up at Artie with a sad face. "You didn't do anything wrong Artie…it's my Dad."

Artie let out a sigh of relief, he was off the hook, Marge did not know what he had done thank goodness. But something else was wrong now, what was wrong with her father that would make her pack like this? They had never needed her like this before. "What happened?" He finally had to ask.

"He's in the hospital now. For about a week, he's been having these really bad coughs that make it sound like he has a bad cold and that's what Mom thought, he just had a bad cold. Until this afternoon when he had trouble breathing and nearly fainted after just walking to the car. Mom said I need to come back and visit for a few days and maybe listen to the doctors prognoses," Marge said with a heavy sigh. She was taking it well after what she explained, Artie knew what the problem might be and if his assumptions were correct, things would not be good for Mr. Bouvier.

"So there's no chance in going out to dinner tonight?" Artie asked as he reached into his pocket and felt for the box to remind him what he wanted to do with her tonight.

"Oh Artie, I would love to, but I'm not in the mood any more, I'm just too upset right now knowing that my Dad's health has gone downhill. And I know why too, it's from all that smoking! I'm so glad I never took that horrible stuff up," Marge said bitterly. This made Artie flinch a little, he would hate to see how angry she would sound if she had seen him with the girl.

Artie let out a sigh, he knew he could not force her to go out, otherwise if he did she would probably say no when the time came for him to ask. He had to let her go, as annoying as it was to change plans, he knew she had to go and see her father again. What if he didn't have much time left, Marge would never let Artie live it down if she didn't get to say goodbye. Oh what a horrible thought that was!

"When do you plan on heading out?" Artie asked.

"As soon as I'm done packing, if I leave soon, I should be back in Springfield by sometime early tomorrow," Marge replied as she wiped another tear out of her eye and rummaged through her clothes some more.

Artie stood there watching Marge do her thing, and as he did so, he got really concerned. She was leaving later in the day and would be driving most of the night. She would be sleep deprived by morning and it just wouldn't be a good thing for her to drive. She was also clearly upset, and crying was not a good thing to do while driving. Artie knew he had to be the good boyfriend and take action.

"Marge, do you want me to help you get there?"

Marge stopped what she was doing and looked back at Artie. She wasn't expecting him to help, she was just expecting him to be caring about the situation which he was doing a good job at, even though it messed up dinner plans. But of course, this act of kindness could be the next great idea for what was in store. She did need time to compose while getting there and maybe talk about what was going on. Yes, she needed him more than she realized.

"You don't mind?"

"Not at all, you can stay there as long as you want, if its longer than the weekend, I will just let the guys at work know that I will be missing for a few days," Artie replied with a concerned smile.

Marge must have been really stressed because to Artie it didn't sound like much of a big deal to him. But Marge overwhelmed by his offer because a moment later she let the tears fall down her face before leaping forward to hug him tightly. "Oh Artie it would mean so much to me if you did."

Artie let Marge embrace him for as long as she wanted, he knew she was upset and that she needed to let her emotions out, sooner or later they would have to and luckily it would not be out on a dark road somewhere. But as Marge hugged him, he began to get concerned, he had embraced Olivia only hours before and she had a very pleasant aroma about her from the perfume she wore, what if Marge could smell that? Finally he had to push her away and looked her in the eyes.

"I should shower before we get going, we probably should not waste valuable time," Artie said.

Marge only nodded as she sat back down on the bed and stared into the suitcase as if she was wondering what else to bring, while Artie quickly made his way to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. For a moment he stood against the door, a little glad that Marge was too upset to notice anything strange about him, he still felt a little guilty about it all, but then again he knew that it wasn't as bad as the first time and that was in the past. What Marge didn't know couldn't hurt her. For now, he just had to worry about getting her back to Springfield and hopefully proposing to her soon.

* * *

"If you want, we could go to dinner in Springfield," Marge said to Artie while he drove the car down the highway.

"Huh?" Artie replied as he looked back at Marge. They had both been quiet for a good hour now; Artie knew that Marge had a lot on her mind and that she needed time to think before seeing her Dad. He of course was thinking about the events that went on that day, unsure if whether there really was no harm done after nearly giving in to temptation.

"We can go to dinner in Springfield if you want," Marge said again.

Artie thought for a moment, it had been a while since he spent some time in a good restaurant there. He wondered if the Gilded Truffle was still around, that place was sure to bring in some good romance and a good time to pop the question.

"If we find the time, how about The Gilded Truffle?" Artie finally asked.

"Oh that's very fancy, even fancier than the one we were supposed to go to tonight, do you think we can afford it?" Marge asked.

"I'll figure something out," Artie said with a sigh. He knew Marge was right, that place was more for rich people than anyone else. He could probably pay for it, but then he would most likely be very broke after all was said and done. It would probably be a few days before they decided on anything any way. Marge would be too busy with her family while he sat on the sidelines and waited for her to come to him for comfort. He knew he had to be patient even though he wanted to propose to her.

"Sorry this happened at such a bad time, I know how excited you were about tonight," Marge said as she wiped away a few tears that were falling down her face. Not only was she upset about her father, but she also felt bad for the change in plans. She wanted to go out with Artie for some time and when both realized that four years were coming up, both jumped to the idea of a good romantic restaurant

"Eh these things happen, there's always another day I guess," Artie sighed trying not to sound upset about the change in plans.

"And thank you for caring enough to want to drive me home," Marge said calmly as she leaned over and snuggled Artie.

He looked down at Marge, her head was pressed against his shoulder and her hand was on his chest. Artie quickly returned the gesture by putting his arm around her shoulder while her frown turned into a very satisfied smile as she closed her eyes.

"Go ahead and sleep, we got a long drive ahead," Artie said as he gave Marge's shoulder a little squeeze.

Marge murmured quietly while Artie kept his eyes on the road. It really was going to be a long night and he hoped he could be up to the challenge of driving so far for so long. He knew he could do it though, there were a lot of questions forming in his mind from Olivia to Mr. Bouvier, he had all the time in the world to think about it all.

Olivia was especially an important priority; he wondered why she was after him and not the other guys at work. Maybe it was because she liked how he did it, maybe she was just testing him. Whatever the reason, she would be gone in two months, both going their separate ways in technology. He would be back in Springfield and Olivia who knows where. Sure she was a beautiful woman and friendly at times, but so was Marge and Artie cared enough to go all out and do something for the woman he cared more about. If Olivia needed something, he would only walk away from the idea, hopefully if she didn't drag him along. Women, they were such a strange bunch, why did he have to give in to so many urges around them? So many times he wanted to just grab Marge and have his way with her, but of course she was tougher than she looked and she was never really into any sort of monkey business unless she wanted it. This of course was probably the reason for what he had done to Olivia months ago. Marge had not been in the mood for a while and finally he just couldn't contain his urges and went for it.

He was amazed Marge did not expect something was up; he was two hours late getting home and blamed it on a project he had to finish on time. He could have done it tonight too and come home late, Marge probably would not care then either, she probably would not even notice being so worried about her father and all. Cheating was apparently easier than it sounded.

But cheating of course was wrong and it didn't matter if it was easy, he loved someone he had known for a very long time. Ever since prom he wanted to marry Marge, and as the years went by the idea of having a family down the road sounded nice. He could see it happening, a son or two and maybe a daughter, he would work at a good company where he would be happy and thriving. Life would be grand. Too bad he could not get the really good job he wanted from Capitol City instead of Springfield, he had the power to, but Marge didn't want Capitol City, it was too big to her and she wanted to start out small and of course stay closer to family.

"_Oh well," _Artie thought "_the things we do for love."_

* * *

It was almost eight in the morning when they finally reached their destination at the Springfield Hospital. Artie lead Marge into the main entrance where it was already hustling and bustling with people. Marge did not have to go to the receptionist to ask where her family was; her mother had already given her instructions on where to go and quickly made her way to the elevator with Artie in tow. It wasn't a long ride up the elevator and it wasn't a fast one either, Artie did wish it would finish quicker though; Marge was getting very anxious as she kept pacing back and forth. As soon as the doors opened, she burst out leaving Artie behind to fend for himself.

Of course Artie had spent all night driving, so he was a little exhausted and in no mood to move too fast as he slowly left the elevator and followed the sounds of Marge's shoes on the linoleum tile. After a few moments though, the sound vanished and Artie had to rely on sight rather than sound. He made his way down the hall, peeking in and out of all the rooms to look for any familiar faces. He finally found where Marge ran off to in the second to last room and entered to find Marge hugging both her sisters while her mother sat in a nearby chair watching them before turning to see Artie walking in.

"Oh you came to visit too I see," Jacqueline said as she got up to hug him.

"Yeah I thought I should help your daughter get here," Artie replied as he hugged her back.

"Well thank you so much for doing so, the doctor wants to talk with us in about an hour about Clancy's condition in a separate room, so you can keep him company while we do that," Jacqueline said as she nodded at her husband.

Artie turned to look at Clancy Bouvier, expecting to see someone very fragile and sick looking. Instead though, he actually didn't look too bad at all, he did look tired but that was normal for anyone who was on medication and stuck in a hospital bed. For some reason though, Artie could sense optimism in his face, as if he knew it was nothing too serious. Hopefully that was the case.

"Hello Artie," Clancy said in a voice that didn't sound exhausted at all either.

"Hello Mr. Bouvier, how is everything?" Artie asked.

"Oh, I've been coughing on and off and my breathing is not the same but I'm alright, I think I'll live a few more years," Clancy chuckled a little before starting to cough heavily. Artie flinched, it sounded like he was about to cough up a lung.

"Hrmm, wasn't that what Uncle Merl said after he croaked a week later?" Asked Patty. She tried to whisper it to her sister but Marge, Artie and Jacqueline could all hear it.

"Patty! Show some respect please," Jacqueline said.

Artie saw Patty roll her eyes before she walked out of the room, a carton of cigarettes in tow, apparently seeing her sick father in the hospital due to too much smoking didn't phase her one bit. Selma seemed to stay put and watched worriedly as her sister walked out of the room. At least one of the twins had the idea that kicking the habit would be a good idea.

The hour ticked by and the family talked a bit about what Marge was doing and how excited they were about her being done with school soon. They were proud of her for being able to finish college and get a nice career and that Artie had been a great help throughout the entire time. As they talked, Artie took a seat near the window listening quietly and nodding in agreement from time to time. But after a while he drifted off and took a nap until the doctor showed up to take the girls to his office and discuss what was going on.

Once all four girls had left the room, the atmosphere got amazingly quiet, something that Artie was happy about so he could sleep a little bit more and so could Clancy if he wanted to. But before nodding off, Artie decided to check his coat pocket to make sure the ring box was there. He was so busy helping Marge that he thought he forgot about it, but it was there in his coat pocket waiting to be shown. Artie let out a sigh and took it out to inspect it really quick, he tried to do it secretly but apparently Clancy was watching him.

"Well it's about time," Clancy exclaimed while Artie tried to put the box back into his pocket as quickly as possible. Artie then sat there smiling at Clancy, not sure what to say about the idea. "You were going to propose to her last night weren't you?"

"Yes sir," Artie said quietly.

"Just another reason why I know I am not dying yet," Clancy said as he adjusted his bed so that he could sit up a little better to talk to Artie. Artie let out a sigh; apparently it was going to be a while before he got any real rest.

"I like how you are optimistic," Artie finally said.

"Of course I am, sure I still feel lousy but I know the doctor will help me and I can stay in top form for him. Besides I want to see at least one of my daughters succeed with a man in the long run, looks like Marge wins at that one. Of course you have to promise me one thing," Clancy said as he pointed a finger at Artie.

"What's that?"

"You'll give me a grandchild."

Artie stared back at Clancy; apparently he had been waiting for this for a long time. Patty and Selma never found anyone, so now he was forced to wait and Artie seemed to fix that for him. Artie had thought about kids before, but he wasn't in a rush to have one right away. He wanted to be in the right position for that first, maybe a year after marriage would work but only if Marge was up to it too. Having a baby would be a huge change in their lives, so it was best to plan things ahead.

"I promise, just stay with us a few more years," Artie smiled.

"Oh I promise that too, and I thank you for being there for Marge. You have helped turn her into a lovely young lady, who knows what would have happened if she did not follow you on the path of college. I don't think she would have done it; I'm not sure what she would be doing now either. I just know that she did the right thing and that you are to thank for it. Now if only the other two would follow her example, but you know how they are, so stubborn those two," Clancy said before letting out a heavy cough. "Oooh, thought I was gonna hack something up there for a second."

Artie stared at him nervously, he really hoped that nothing life threatening would happen while alone in the room with him. Of course the nurses and doctors were just outside the door but Artie knew he would probably panic before even thinking about going outside to tell someone. Luckily though, Clancy didn't have that problem yet and kept right on talking. "Just remember, Artie, you got a good woman there, take care of her and love her like I do with my Jacky. It's an unbinding love that will span for years; you'll never want to be apart from her. And always remember the most important word you need to say to a woman is, you know what it is?"

"I love you?" Artie asked.

"What? Hell no! ...Well they love that, but they also love it when you say 'you're right honey,'" Clancy grinned.

"I'll try to remember that," Artie said as he tried not to laugh.

It wasn't long after their conversation came to a close that Dr. Langley entered the room with the girls in tow. As soon as they walked in, Artie could tell that something was wrong, the girls were very quiet and Jacqueline had a very sad look on her face that Clancy noticed right away before turning to the doctor for news.

"Well Mr. Bouvier, it's not lung cancer," Dr. Langley began.

"Then why do the girls look so upset?" Clancy asked as he sat up worriedly.

"Because Mr. Bouvier, even though it is not cancer, it is another disease that is close to it. It's a long term progressive disease known as Emphysema. There are small airways in your lungs that collapse when you exhale and that was probably the reason for your fainting yesterday," Dr. Langley explained.

"Well then is it treatable?" Clancy asked.

"Well first of all, you need to rid yourself of the smoking habit, that's what caused it. If you smoke more, the quicker your lungs will fail and your body will go downhill quickly after that."

"So I just need to stop smoking, then and I'll be fine?"

"I wish it were that easy, but unfortunately due to your smoking habit, your quality of life has dropped significantly and if we don't do surgery soon, you might not survive more than a year."

Clancy looked at the doctor worriedly before turning to the family, all of them looking very upset, especially Jacqueline who finally ran up to him and hugged him tightly. The girls only watched from the sidelines as tears formed down their faces. Artie only stood there, realizing that it was more serious than Clancy thought; his life was definitely changing significantly.

"So what are the options?" Clancy asked once Jacqueline let go.

"Well the first option we all agreed not to do because, most patients don't make it and that is a lung transplant. The other one is a wedge resection where basically we remove a piece of the lung that is damaged. You're quality of life will increase, but by only a few years."

"And by a few years, how long is that?" asked Clancy.

"Five, maybe eight at the most," Dr. Langley said sadly.

Clancy stared back at Dr. Langley with a sad face, he was definitely not expecting this diagnoses, he thought it was just a small cold that sounded worse than everyone realized. But his thoughts were wrong and now he was paying the price. He then turned to his family, his wife Jacqueline was staring back with tears in her eyes; obviously upset knowing that he would not be around for old age. Marge was sitting beside Artie, her head on his shoulder crying while he comforted her the best he could in his exhausted state. The twins looked down at the floor sadly, rarely did they cry but it was very obvious that they were saddened to learn of their father's condition.

Clancy knew though that if something could be fixed to extend his life, he needed to try it so he could be with his family for as long as he could. He could not leave Jacqueline so soon, they needed each other and Jacqueline would be heartbroken. Of course she would be either way, but the more time they had together, the more time his wife would learn to cope through the situation.

"When can we do the surgery?" He finally replied.

"The earliest I can get you in is tomorrow morning at eight, the surgery will take a few hours and you will be in the hospital for about ten days afterward," Dr. Langley said.

Clancy only nodded and let out a sigh, in twenty-four hours he would be under while the doctors cut him open to save his life for more years to come. He knew it was a good thing for Jacqueline to be there when he fainted because if she wasn't he would have dismissed it as nothing and went about his normal routine until something worse happened. Of course now he needed to make a few changes as well, no more smoking was one of them and he wondered if he would be able to do it. That tobacco really was addicting, too bad it was so life threatening too. But it was better to stay optimistic, maybe the doctor was wrong and the surgery would save his life and he would live longer than what he was telling them. Yeah it was better to keep your chin up.

"Now guys, don't cry for me, I'm not dead yet. Just keep your chin up and look on the bright side," Clancy told them his voice never cracking.

"We will do our best Dad," Marge replied as she made her way forward and hugged him tightly. Clancy returned the gesture and looked over at Artie while he was doing so.

"Just remember, even during the bleakest times, a new hope will shine for you."

Artie knew exactly what Clancy was saying.

* * *

A new day arrived; Clancy was prepped for surgery and went in with a brave face right at eight in the morning. For the first hour, the entire family remained silent as they sat together in the waiting room waiting for any news of what was going on. Artie sat with them; he had actually let the Bouvier's be together for the rest of the day while he went home to see his family and get a nice long rest. Now that the new day was here, he was well rested and willing to be with them as they waited for Clancy to come out of surgery safely. Of course he had other plans in mind as well.

As the hour ticked by, Artie knew he could not hide the hope of proposing with Marge any longer and finally decided he needed to go for a walk with Marge.

"Hey Marge," He called out in the silent waiting room.

"Yes Artie?" Marge looked up startled.

"Ummm…would you be willing to wander around the hospital with me?" Artie asked.

Marge stared at him curiously for a moment before responding. "Sure," she finally replied.

Artie lead the way out of the waiting room and together they walked down the lonely halls of the hospital, passing doors filled with people just like them hoping for their family member to get better. But like Clancy told him yesterday, even during the bleakest times, a new hope will come. He realized that eating out wasn't that important and how often could you propose to someone in the halls of a hospital wing? Well maybe not in the hall but somewhere better. He just had to find it.

"You gotta admit, this is better than sitting in the waiting room for hours," Artie said while looking around for the perfect place.

"Yeah it kind of is, helps you clear your mind a little any way," Marge replied with a sigh as Artie led her into a nearby elevator.

Artie only nodded while he tried to figure out where a best place to propose would be. And that's when he remembered the front entrance near the gift shop and chapel where a lovely water fountain stood and people could be by it to watch the water fall through the many sluices it had, it would be perfect. As soon as the doors of the elevator opened, Artie grabbed Marge by the hand and led her toward the fountain.

"Artie slow down, I think I know where you are taking me and truthfully I know what everything looks like now," Marge said as she tried to keep up with him.

"Oh you haven't seen everything Marge," Artie replied with a smile.

Marge stared at him curiously as he made his way toward the fountain and stopped right in front of it where he watched the water flow all around it for a few seconds. It was a very pretty fountain, mostly green with three cascading layers that the water flowed down on. On the top stood a cross and all over the water were pennies that many threw in for luck. At the moment, the lighting in that part of the wing was just right, making the water shine as it fell into the pool below.

"You know Marge, we have known each other for a very long time now," Artie finally said after staring at the water.

"Yes we have, and I have no idea what I would have done without you after first hearing about my father," Marge said with a sigh as she sat down on the water's edge looking rather lovely with the lighting and the sound of the water mixing in with her words. To any random person who did not know her or love her, she looked very haggard and worn, but to Artie she looked radiant and strong. He knew the family would get through this hard time and it would start with Marge.

"I think it would have been much harder for you, just imagine if I didn't even care and just let you go on your own," Artie said, thinking about how he could have been selfish enough to even spend a few hours with Olivia instead of her.

"Yeah it would have been a lonely drive," Marge sighed as she looked down at the floor not even thinking about why Artie was asking her these questions.

"But apparently I love you enough to want to take you all the way out here to see your father and I hope what I did made you realize how lucky you are to have a boyfriend like me," Artie said not really thinking through with what he said.

"Artie, don't be arrogant, now's not the time," Marge replied with annoyance in her voice.

Artie looked back at Marge nervously, realizing what he said was a bit arrogant and when he did that Marge was usually not in any mood to talk to him after that. "Sorry Marge, it's just hard to come up with the right words for what I am about to do," Artie said with a nervous grin.

Marge stared back at Artie and glared for a moment. But that grin brought her frown to a concerned smile. Whatever Artie was doing, he was trying his best to make her happy. And it was hard to do so when so many thoughts were brimming in her mind. "Go ahead Artie."

"Marge, we've been together for so long, we've dealt with tough semesters, long hours of studying, through thick and thin and yet we are still together no matter what. And truthfully I don't want to end yet, I'm willing to take our relationship to the moon and back if you let me. Remember what your father told us last night, that even during the bleakest times; a new hope will shine through. I don't know about you but I call that an opportunity."

Marge stared back at Artie hanging on to his every word. For someone who was known to sound a bit arrogant at times, he sure knew how to make up for it when he was really desperate. And even though he was arrogant, especially during times when she was under the most stress, he always knew how to change everything and make her feel better. It was true that they had many moments where they nearly split up from each other, but they would always make up within a few hours, knowing that they needed each other. Of course Artie turned his back on Marge with Olivia but he was going to fix that, she would be out of his life soon, and in the future it would just be a funny memory that only he had. He hoped he would never give into temptation again.

"What kind of opportunity?" Marge asked curiously.

Artie smiled and took the ring box out of his pocket before kneeling to the ground in front of the fountain. He opened the box revealing the diamond ring inside. "Will you marry me Marge?"

Marge stood there in shock for the longest moment while people around her watched with anticipation on what she was about to say. Yes this had to be the new hope her father was telling them about. For that amazing moment, Marge felt like she was on top of the world and everything was going to be alright. The man she had been with since senior prom wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. In truth, Marge had been waiting for this for a while now and she was also willing to spend the rest of her life with him, they've gone this far, why not? Then without a second thought, Marge leapt at Artie, hugging him tightly and excitedly said "Yes!"

* * *

A/N: Holy crap nearly six thousand words! Haven't done that in a while. But yes I kind of psyched you out up there with Marge packing and everything. Also before anyone gets all nitpicky on me, I have a few things I want to say. First off Clancy really is the name of Marge's father, that's what many sources say any way. I know it's kind of odd especially since Clancy is also the name of Chief Wiggum, I guess they weren't really thinking. Also since the next chapter is going back to Homer I just thought I should let you know that he does make it out of surgery so he is fine for now. And yes a Wedge resection really is a medical procedure. I did some homework, yay!

Any way I should probably get to work on part two of Hope and Expectations since it's been about a month and I promised one a month. So be on the lookout for that. I have no idea what I will be doing for the Lisa part so if anyone has any ideas feel free to shout it out to me. I don't mind help. I also find it funny that I can make the Simpson Fan feel awkward. Hee hee!

Any way please review when you all can.


	16. The Return of Mick

Homer leaned against his surfboard, enjoying the mid October sun as the waves tumbled and fell around him while he watched Jenna grab a wave and start surfing a few yards in front of him. It was his day off and during most mornings on his days off, he would join Jenna for a nice round of surfing on the beach until around lunch time when the air got a little too hot, or until Jenna had to head off to work. For the past two years, Jenna had taught Homer some of the more leisurely things to do while living on an island and surfing was one of them. Of course Homer was not as good as Jenna, but he tried and enjoyed just going out and having a good time.

At the moment, Jenna was catching some pretty good waves; a few times she would get airborne for just a few seconds before landing again with perfect stride and without falling. Something he had not mastered yet and something he was a bit too shy to try at. He just liked taking the small waves and riding them for a few feet before losing balance and falling in the water. Of course he had to watch out for the reefs, after nearly breaking his ankle once he was more cautious about where he rode.

Homer let out a sigh, Jenna sure looked lovely just surfing those waves, he couldn't help but smile as he watched her. Still though, he often thought about Marge and how she was doing and this morning was no exception. As he watched Jenna, he wondered if Marge would be nimble enough to try and surf, she sure had the figure for it, well maybe any way. Maybe she gained some weight. Homer shook that thought away, of course Marge would not gain weight, unless she broke up with Artie and got upset and started eating snacks. Then she would look like her sisters, Homer made a disgusted face just thinking about that and quickly tried to shake the thought of her looking like her sisters out of his mind.

"Now what was that face all about?"

Homer looked to his left and was surprised to find Barney making his way through the sand toward Homer. Of course he was off fishing duty that morning so it made sense that he was out and about, but it was rare to see him on the beach. Naturally Homer got a little worried about this and jumped up just in case help was needed right away and to answer his question.

"Oh just thinking about things, what's going on with you?" Homer asked.

"Well you won't believe who just showed up at the bar," Barney replied with a smile.

Homer's heart skipped a beat, would Marge come all the way down here for some rest and relaxation? It would be a stretch and a really cool fantasy, but how would she know about Moe's bar? And if she was down here, she would probably go to one of the better bars in town. Maybe Lenny or Carl showed up, Barney was always talking to them on the phone about something, so maybe they came down for a surprise visit.

"Lenny?" Homer said a bit excited.

"No Lenny's actually studying some sort of science degree so he can work at the new nuclear plant back in Springfield," Barney replied.

"Carl?" asked Homer.

"Nope," Barney said.

Homer scratched his chin; he could not think of anyone else back home besides Carl, Lenny or Marge and Marge was just a long stretch. "Who then?"

"Mick!" Barney replied cheerfully.

Homer's face lit up at the thought of the original helper of Moe returning to Key West once again. It made him wonder if he was staying long or just visiting. If he stayed long he would have warned them all ahead of time that he was coming back. But then again he probably wanted to surprise them either way. Homer knew as well that Moe's old chum had a lot of stories to tell and was most likely ready to see his sister and friends again. It was probably now time to back up and make his way back to Moe's house, Jenna though seemed to have found the right wave and wasn't leaving any time soon.

"Let him know we'll be up in a bit," Homer replied as he grabbed his board and ran out into the water to grab one more wave and maybe chat with Jenna on the water. She was now sitting on her board, waiting for him to make his way over.

"What did Barney need?" Jenna asked.

"Oh nothing special, he just wanted to let me know that a certain someone is waiting for us at the bar," Homer said with a smile as he sat on the board and let himself float on the water with Jenna beside him.

"Oh is someone waiting for me to play the piano and you to make them a favorite drink. The bar's not even open for a few more hours though," Jenna said as she balanced herself after nearly falling into the water.

"Well this is a special someone," Homer said with a smile.

"The president's here?" Jenna asked.

Homer laughed; she had been around him so much now that she was starting to sound like him when she was surprised by something. He liked that about her too; she got easily excited like him and usually had his manners when she got really confused. Something the other guys usually laughed at before being punched in the shoulder. At the moment, it was no exception, while Homer laughed, Jenna shoved Homer with her foot making him lose his balance and sending him into the water. Homer quickly came back up and leaned against his surfboard while he tossed his hair out of his face.

"Well if you really want to know I think we should have a race to shore," Homer said while he got back on the board.

"Oh I can totally kick your butt," Jenna replied with a grin as she leaned forward and waited for the right wave. Homer did the same and watched every move Jenna made as they waited out the perfect wave.

Finally Jenna found the right one and paddled forward to get good momentum. Homer followed suit and soon both were on their boards gliding back onto land with the wave. It wasn't a very big one and Jenna did that on purpose, she wanted to make it easier for Homer so he could end the ride with her. Of course she would find a way to win and she did just that before the wave dissipated by bumping against Homer and once again sending him into the water. Homer dragged the surf board back on the beach while Jenna stood there waiting for him grinning with the evil grin she usually gave him when she liked to flirt with him. She did it all the time while they were in the water. Of course Homer didn't mind, he rather enjoyed the silly games.

"So Mr. Loser, who's at the bar?"

"Oh no one special, just a certain musician who left for greater things and gave us a job," Homer said nonchalantly.

Jenna's jaw dropped, realizing what Homer was saying, her brother was back and she was just playing around ignoring him. Without saying a word, Jenna ran up the beach as quickly as she could, a big feat especially with all the sand in the way, leaving Homer behind before he realized that he needed to follow her. Surfing was over now for the day; Jenna would be spending time with her brother now and hearing all about his adventures. They did talk from time to time, but they were usually short conversations with him saying that things were doing well and that he was having a great time with the band. He told her he wanted to save his stories for when he returned to the bar.

When they arrived, they found Mick sitting on the edge of the stage, Moe, Barney and Roger's girlfriend Karyn were standing nearby while Roger was standing in the middle of the stage, playing his guitar and hoping to impress Mick. Apparently he was doing a good job because Mick kept nodding his head to the music and enjoying his time with his old friends. He didn't even see Jenna until she came out of nowhere and tackled him in a big hug.

"Hey how's my little sister doing?" Mick said as he bear hugged her in return.

"I didn't know you were coming back!" Jenna said happily while not wanting to let him go.

"Well our manager is giving us a year off due to some disagreements with a member of the band. Our other guitar player, Steven, well he got all upset one day about how we never treated him right so he stormed off the stage and refused to play with us for a week. He eventually returned but he was never the same, always acting like he didn't care about our future. One night we got into this huge fight in our hotel while in Chicago. Fists flew, things were broken, including a lovely bed post, and words were said so the next morning our manager fired Steven and told us because of our behavior we have been suspended for a year while he finds another guitar player. Truthfully though I don't think he has to look very far."

Mick looked up at Roger as he said the last words, Roger just smiled and continued to play a riff while the boys continued to crowd around Mick as they wanted to know everything that had gone on since he left for a better life.

"So what kind of stories do ya have for us dere," Moe replied and still smiling from ear to ear.

"Yeah where did you go? What sights did you see?" Homer asked.

"Any hot women?" Barney asked.

"One at a time boys, I know it's been a while, but I went all over, even international. Got to play in some sweet bars, a few arenas and almost every night I had a lady by my side."

The boys all looked at each other, shocked that Mick had had a great time without them, and all of them hung on to every word he was going to say. But Moe of course stopped him from saying anything, for he had other plans in mind.

"Well Mick, I think you should share your story with the bar patrons as well, I know some of them are still talking about you and your mean swordfish fillets. So as soon as we open you'll take center stage and give us some good stories with your guitar," Moe replied while at the same time began to push the boys toward the kitchen. They would be able to hear too, but they would be working while doing it.

"I would be happy to do so Moe, even though the boys and my sister are eager," Mick replied as he gave his sister one more hug. "You got room back home right? I think the boys took mine." Homer, Barney and Roger gave a sly grin before they all disappeared behind the counter.

* * *

The bar opened a few hours later, Mick was sitting on the stage, his guitar on his lap and drinking a rum and coke. He watched as the customers made their way in, most were there to see Mick after learning from word of mouth that he had returned and wanted to see the great guitar player again. The boys were busy working in the kitchen watching as the place seemed to get busier every minute and hoping they had enough fish for those who wanted some. They did have enough steak but people loved the fish and Barney was usually the best at making them. But after about an hour, they noticed that the people coming in seemed to be more interested in having a drink and seeing Mick again. Something that the guys didn't mind doing because it didn't take so long.

After about an hour of watching people enter the bar, Mick knew it was time to start telling everyone about his time out there and the great things he did. He sat on a tall stool on the middle of the stage and strung his guitar as he began to talk about his adventure, in a ballad like tune.

"Savanna, Baltimore, Birmingham, Cedar Rapids, Nashville, Tulsa, Boston, San Francisco, Denver, Santa Fe, Miami, Cleveland, Omaha, and even as far north as Anchorage. These were many of the places I visited the first year. Amazing places my friend, the food was amazing and so were the girls."

Mick smiled as he continued to play, nodding his head up and down for a few moments as if he was trying to remember the amazing nights in the many towns he fell in love with.

"Let me tell you about the girl I met in Tulsa, cowgirl, married to her horse, but still looking for the right kind of love. She sat by the stage of that run down bar and would not take her eyes off me. I shared some love songs in that bar and of course once I was finished for the evening she walked up to me and told me she was lonely. She took me to her house on a lonely stretch of road and made some sweet lovin' that night. Until I told her I was married to my work and that I had no interest in going further. She threw a pillow at me and locked me out. I slept in the barn that night, next to a cow and an old billy goat. Apparently that goat liked me; I was sleeping right beside her that morning, of course that didn't work out too well either."

Mick winked while everyone in the bar laughed at his silly little ballad. Mick nodded his approval and strung his guitar for a minute as if thinking about what to tell next. Finally his face lit up and he began to string a new rhythm for about a minute before starting his story.

"Ah San Francisco, a beautiful city with dazzling faces and memorable places that leave you awestruck and curious. I was there for a week one fine spring; I played four gigs at this one bar and met some amazing people. Including a girl I will call her Erica. Ah Erica, your name sounds like a soft gentle breeze, but I didn't actually meet her at the bar. Instead I met her in the emergency room as I waited for our drummer to get stitched up after he got in a fight. We talked about things other than him that night and we knew we had something right."

It was then that Mick began singing a ballad that he had written while on the road. It was a story of great friendship between two lovers for a week. They explored the city together, learned about the culture and dreamed of something more. But Mick's ambition made him leave her behind one rainy afternoon as he headed up the coast. He told how he wished to see her again and thought of her often while on the road. Finally, he got his chance to see her again nearly a year later when he was called back to the great streets of San Francisco. But heartbreak followed for when he saw her again, she was with another man and happier. And that's when Mick's heart broke.

In the moments that Homer listened to that song, he started to cry; he knew what it was like for a man to be in love with someone but learned it was too late to do anything about it. No one saw him shed those tears though, for they simply fell onto the grill and burned away with fat and gristle. It was amazing what one song could do to someone.

Finally Mick went from heartbreak to laughter once again as he started back up with his original tune on his guitar. "But the states weren't the only places I visited. I went across the ocean and toured London, Paris, Athens, Tokyo, Sydney, Rio, Bangkok, and even Oslo. Oh those crazy international girls…"

Mick strung his guitar in a faster rhythm and smiled as he did so. Everyone noticed that he was taking longer to sing about it than most so he must have had a good time.

"First stop Oslo, blue eyed blondes who made you feel like the god of thunder because afterwards you were very Thor." The audience laughed a bit at the pun while Mick continued.

"Ah Paris, the city of lovers and fine wine and cheeses, a colorful array of music and art. I met a young artist there; I became her subject after a gig, thought I had something going with her as she smiled while drawing me. But by the third day I learned she loved someone else more. I left the city brokenhearted but on my way to another: Rio."

Mick then began a new song, playing his guitar with a more salsa rhythm to it. This time he told the tale of how he spent a week and a half in Rio and where he fell for four beautiful senoritas. He did not break up with one every day, but instead spent time with all four during those few days there. Until one evening on his last gig, his secret was blown, he tried to run from them but they were quick. He awoke hours later in a very shady part of town and there he was lost for hours before finally finding his hotel again.

"So you see boys, being a lover is not all that's cracked up to be. For I have changed my ways and I am waiting for the right girl to come to me, when that will happen, I haven't the foggiest. I just know one day I will find her and it will be greater than any love I have ever made. So don't just go for the lady with the most sex appeal, but go for the one that you know that in your heart you will want to be with forever. None of those girls really had that, well except for the one in San Francisco, I still miss her every day. Oh Erica."

And with that Mick continued to play his song about Erica one more time, Homer continued to listen thinking about what he had said beforehand. It made him wonder if he really was going to spend the rest of his life with Jenna, they had been together long enough. But would it last forever? He still thought about Marge and how beautiful she was, and how much he missed her. But he knew that his chances with her were slim now if she was still with Artie. He looked around for Jenna and saw her sitting at a table by the stage, her beautiful brown eyes watching her brother sing. He felt happy for her sitting right there and knew he had done so many things for her in the past three years.

She even asked a few times about the idea of starting their lives together in a whole new way, he would go with her to college to study for something, yet he still had no idea what he wanted to do. A life with her did sound wonderful, but would he think about Marge every time? He really had to find a way to get her out of his mind, he was Jenna's now and he cared for her and liked being with her. It was time to erase Marge out of his mind; she never loved him and was now with someone else who probably loved her even more than he ever would. It was time to stop thinking about the past that he screwed up; it was time to think about the future.

* * *

A/N: Yay crappy chapter! I will admit, this is probably the worst chapter I have written in a while, I know its not the worst of all time because, well some of my old work wins that award. So yeah this was more of a filler chapter than anything. Next chapter should be very interesting, though unfortunately it will be a while before I post it. I have to go on a road trip back to where I used to live. It's gonna take me about a week or two to get there and I know I am going to be exhausted every evening from driving. So I apologize for the upcoming wait. Wish me luck though on the trip, hopefully the storms won't be too serious and I can easily find my way around. If you don't hear from me in a month, well, just wait longer, or just ask Chaos or Bdlywrttn where I've gone. I'll keep them informed.

Other than that, please review if you want to; hope you all have a wonderful week.


	17. Proposals and Performances

It was early February and Homer awoke to a cold, drizzly morning. A rarity in Key West, but not unheard of. Of course Homer had been through colder weather than this and thought nothing of it as he got up and made his way to the kitchen to grab some cereal for breakfast. He was the only one in the house that morning, Moe was off running errands with Mick, and both Barney and Roger were fishing. It was rare for Homer to wake up to an empty house, so he was happy to have some peace and quiet for a few hours. Quickly he poured himself a bowl of cheerios before making his way out to the screen room where he usually sat on his days off, he could watch the water in front of him and listen to the many sounds of Key West as a new day began.

Today was no exception as he stared out into the fog; Barney and Roger were out there and he hoped that the wind was with them. Hopefully the fog would clear out by noon as they returned from fishing. Hopefully it was good today, usually it was on cooler days, but sometimes fish preferred warmer waters. He would have to wait and see, for now though he could lounge on his chair and enjoy his cheerios while Hemmingway the cat sat nearby staring out into nothingness like he always did. When Homer finished his bowl of cereal, he set it beside him, Hemmingway's ears perked up and he hopped over to drink the milk that was left in the bowl.

Homer watched him for a few moments before deciding to dig into his pocket and take out something very special he had been carrying around for the past couple of weeks. He didn't spend much on it, thank goodness for pawn shops, he didn't have the money to buy anything big, but he knew that no matter what, Jenna would love it. For a moment he held a tiny beat up paper box, knowing that something special was inside it before actually opening it to look at it. When he finally did, the box revealed an emerald cut ring that sparkled even under the foggy weather. Homer smiled down at it. For many weeks he pondered on what the right thing to do would be. Finally he decided it was time to propose to Jenna, he finally told himself that it was time to get Marge out of his mind, it was time to show how much he cared for the one he was with now. The only problem was, he was not sure when or how to propose.

Homer let out a sigh and looked over at Hemmingway who was now staring back at Homer, watching him intently as if he was interested in the ring he was holding. Of course the cat would not understand him, but perhaps he would be a good candidate in practicing a propose to Jenna, of course he still had to find the right time and where to do it. There was also the issue of asking correctly, so practice made perfect. So Homer stared back at Hemmingway and thought of what to say for a few moments.

"Well Jenna…" he began while Hemmingway stared back with heavy lidded eyes. "…We've known each other for quite a while now, and you know I think that knowing each other and being with each other so long really says something about us. …And what it says is…well…maybe we should be together forever, we care about each other, we do things together, we are rarely apart. I've cared about you enough to believe we can work this out and I know you can too, so…"

Homer then bent down in front of Hemmingway and opened the ring box to reveal the pawned emerald ring. "Will you marry me Jenna?"

Homer stood still for a moment, thinking about what he said. All the while Hemmingway stared back before letting out a yawn and then lifting his back leg to clean his privates. Apparently what Homer was doing was just not interesting enough for him. "It was boring wasn't it?" Homer asked.

Hemmingway did not respond but continued to clean himself; Homer rubbed his chin and thought about what he said. It did sound long and pointless; maybe it was best to abridge it a little. Maybe write it down until he got it right, then memorize it. Yeah that sounded better; there was a pad of paper in the drawer next to him and a pen so he started writing his thoughts down on what he wanted to say. He would edit it once he was done, read it over several times and then think of a right time to ask Jenna. It was almost Valentine's Day; maybe he could ask her out and ask her then. That sounded plausible, but for some reason, just going to a restaurant sounded boring. Maybe some place better would be fun, like the key that they often went skinny dipping in.

For the rest of the morning, Homer worked on his proposal and was so caught up in it that he barely heard Moe and Mick return from their errands for the day until they literally walked in on him. Homer quickly tried to hide the paper he was writing as they came into the screen room, but of course it didn't get passed either of them, mainly because Homer left the ring sitting next to the chair on the drawer.

"What are you up to there Homah?" Moe asked as he entered the room and saw Homer staring at them with a big grin on his face.

"Oh nothing, just watching the clouds roll in," Homer replied.

"Oh really, then what's this?" Mick asked as he snuck behind Homer and picked up the ring that was on the drawer.

"Oh nothing, just something I found in a Cracker Jack box, thought it would be a nice collectible," Homer replied as he tried to grab the ring out of Mick's hand.

Mick stared at the ring for a moment, surprised by how pretty it was for something found in a Cracker Jack box. He examined it and noticed how it sparkled even on a cloudy day and that's when he realized it was more than just any ring. Mick looked down at Homer and smiled while Homer stared back at him with a sheepish grin.

"I know what you're doing Homer, and I for one approve," Mick said as he handed the ring back to him.

"You do?" Asked Homer.

"Of course, Jenna has been beside you for a long time now and both of you deserve each other. Just promise to be faithful to her, I don't want her coming home crying because you did something to upset her," Mick said in a stern manner.

"Of course Mick, I promise I will keep her happy," Homer replied but with nervousness in his voice. Suddenly he realized that doing this meant a big change in his life, he would be living with her forever, possibly even starting a family. Did he really want to go through with this? Well he had been with her long enough and enjoyed her company, and besides, Marge needed to be out of the picture. No more thoughts about the girl he only knew for a few months in high school. She had her own life now, away from him.

"Good! And if you don't, you better run," Mick replied in a rather sinister voice.

Homer gulped, now he wondered what would happen if he ever hurt Jenna in any way. Even with Homer there for her while Mick was gone, Jenna was still known to call her brother from time to time when she was feeling down. He was her security blanket and he was the big brother who cared and made sure she was happy. He had never seen Mick get mad and he knew he never wanted to, who knows what he could do when something upsetting set him off.

"But besides sparkly things and punching each other's throats, apparently Mick here has a gig tonight at the local four star hotel for a…what's it called again?" asked Moe.

"After wedding, more of a honeymoon with everyone invited to the reception," Mick said with a confused shrug.

"That's a new one," Homer replied.

"Yeah apparently the happy couple forgot that the honeymoon was just for them, but why should I complain, I'm getting money out of this," Mick said with a huge grin.

"I bet it will be fun to crash too," Homer said with a sly grin.

Moe looked back at Homer; apparently he was asking permission to do so. But he wasn't his father and Home wasn't working tonight, he could do what he damned well pleased, just as long as he came into work on time that was fine with him.

"Homah, I'm not your damn motha," Moe said as he walked back inside.

"You don't really have to crash either, you can just say you're with the band, and it could give you ideas on what kind of wedding you want to do with Jenna," Mick replied as he nudged Homer playfully.

"Nah, I would rather come for music and booze than get ideas," Homer said not really thinking what he just said. Mick stared back at him, one eyebrow raised as if he was unsure if he should laugh or not. "Or I could get ideas too, either way, I'm supporting you." Mick only rolled his eyes.

* * *

Homer and Jenna followed Mick and his crew toward the back door of The Sunset Key hotel, a security guard was waiting for them, he knew that three band members would be coming so when he saw Homer and Jenna, he got a little suspicious.

"There a reason these two are here?" asked the guard.

"Yes sir, Jenna is here just in case I feel the need to play one of my slow songs and she can play the piano and occasionally sing. Homer here is our mascot," Mick replied.

The guard stared over at Homer who was wearing a Hawaiian shirt with Bermuda shorts and flip flops. Definitely not dressed for wedding party material but he didn't care, it was just a party, everyone else would most likely not want to wear nice clothes for something like this. Of course while the guard stared at Homer, Homer gave him a goofy grin, trying his hardest to be innocent.

"Well that's a new one I must say, but I've seen weirder, like this one guy said his puppy was part of the band, sure enough we was. Dear lord was he a terrible singer. Any way go on in," The guard replied as he opened the door and let Mick and his friends pass through.

When they entered, they found the manager of the hotel waiting for them by two double doors. He did not look at the group strangely, he was just expecting a musical group to come and entertain his guests. He gave Mick a quick nod before motioning them to follow him through the hotel and into the ballroom that was set up for his guests. They went in the back way but were told to wait while the manager announced their presence.

Everyone stood behind the curtain and watched as the manager went forward before a large crowd of people mingling about. It wasn't the biggest crowd Mick had seen but he was still surprised by how many people actually showed up for a wedding reception that was not even in the same city where the happy couple recited their vows. These people must have been very special to have wanted to do this.

"Alright everyone, we finally got your entertainment tonight. So give it up for Mick and the Key Minors!" The manager said as he stepped aside and let Mick come on stage with his two sidekicks. Roger would have come that day, but he had to work of course, but he hoped to come later once things died down at the bar.

Homer and Jenna watched Mick play from behind the curtain for a moment before looking around the room to see the guests dancing to Mick's songs. They seemed to be having a good time, there was a cash bar so lots of drinking was involved and it wasn't long before Homer was able to find the buffet table in the far back still piled high with all sorts of good food.

"You wanna get a quick bite to eat and then dance the night away" Homer asked.

"After you," Jenna replied with a grin.

Quickly Homer and Jenna made their way down the side of the stage and stayed against the wall so they would stay out of people's way as they made their way toward the buffet table. When they got there Homer was amazed by all the more expensive foods lined up on the table. There was toast with caviar, honey glazed ham, cheese, bread, pasta salad, chicken, potatoes, salads, and even so delicious looking desserts. Homer felt like he was in heaven and began stacking as much as he could onto his plate while Jenna took a few items and laughed at Homer's comments about how happy he was to see food in front of him. He was so busy gathering the food he wanted that he barely noticed one of the guests come forward to get his share of food until he was right in front of him.

"Homer Simpson! Is that you?" the guest said.

Homer looked up from scooping all the pasta salad onto his plate and was surprised to see an old classmate from high school named Fred Brooks standing there. Homer's eyes widened, hopefully he wasn't the groom who this reception was for because that would be embarrassing because he would know if he invited Homer or not.

"Uh…yeah, how ya been Fred?" Homer asked a bit nervously.

"Not too shabby, didn't know you were invited to the reception of a lifetime too," Fred replied as he grabbed a roll and took a bite out of it.

"Oh yeah, I couldn't pass up on a trip to Key West, the best fishing is here and the weather is great," Homer lied.

"Oh yeah, one of the many reasons why I said yes to the invitation, I plan on going fishing in the morning if you would like to join me. I hear the Marlin fishing is great if you head south a little ways," Fred said.

Homer held his tongue, for one thing he knew that the best Marlin fishing was actually to the west just a few miles from the Dry Tortugas, but if he told him that then the tourists would come and ruin that spot. It was best to keep quiet about it. Secondly he was supposed to go fishing in the morning any way for Moe and he wasn't sure how Moe would feel about a greenhorn fishing with them.

"I'll think about it," Homer finally replied.

"Alright just let me know, my room is number fourteen zero seven, come by if you feel like it, we can catch up, haven't seen you since graduation, I bet we got a lot of stories to tell," Fred said as he walked back into the crowd.

"Wow you did really well there," Jenna said, surprised that Homer could pull a lie like that.

"Yeah I know, makes me wonder too if this reception is for a couple from Springfield, that would be crazy wouldn't it," Homer replied.

"Definitely," Jenna said.

Homer set his plate of food down for a minute and looked around the room to see if he might know anyone else. It didn't take long to discover that he did, he saw Stuart, the guy who kicked him out of the graduation party dancing with a girl he never knew a few feet away. Then he saw another classmate, and then another. Now Homer suddenly felt very strange being here, as if he would find out who the lucky bride and groom were and they would know him and kick him out. This was a new predicament for him and he now thought that dancing with Jenna was out of the question and it was best to head back home.

"Homer, are you okay?" Jenna asked.

"Uhh…" Homer replied as he started backing away from the buffet table without his food.

"Don't forget your food," Jenna said as she grabbed it from where he left it.

"It's okay Jenna, I think we need to get going," Homer said as he turned around and was about to walk away when he bumped into someone.

This time Homer bumped into someone he knew he had seen before, he just didn't know where. He was an older man, probably in his early sixties; his face looked tired and worn like he had not slept correctly in a few days. He had to be the father of the bride or groom and Homer knew that this guy would probably know who would be showing up to his son or daughters amazing wedding reception.

"Sorry sir, I was just trying to find my way around the place," Homer replied.

"Say ain't you that Simpson kid who tried to invite my daughter to the prom," the man said.

Homer gasped, he had invited only one girl to the prom and he did meet her father when he tried to pick her up. Now that Homer realized who was standing in front of him he knew that there was only one explanation as to why Mr. Bouvier was here and he did not like it one bit. He had to get out of here fast before anyone else saw him, or he saw something he did not want to see. He was starting to see the big picture now and he could not believe Mick had been called out to play for this reception. A reception that Homer never imagined seeing, or even wanting to see for that matter.

"Daddy, the band has been asked to play our wedding song and then a special daddy daughter song afterwards. Come on, I'll help you find a good place to wait."

Homer stared at the lady who now had her back turned to him and coaxing her father toward the dance floor. Was it really Marge, the Marge Bouvier that he had fallen in love with all those years ago? Her hair was high up in a beehive and her dress was an elegant pink that went down to her ankles, while a scarf went around her neck and tied to her wrist. From the back she looked beautiful, and he was already in a trance. He wanted to run but he seemed to be stuck to the floor as if waiting for her to turn around.

Moments later, Mr. Bouvier pointed at Homer, causing Marge to do just that and see her spare prom date staring back at her. Homer could not believe it; she was just as beautiful as he remembered, a little older but still just as gorgeous and amazing.

"Hello Homer," Marge replied with surprise in her voice but still had a kind smile.

"Uh… hi Marge," Homer replied sheepishly.

"I don't remember inviting you to my reception, but I'm glad you came," Marge said thoughtfully.

Homer gulped, she was the one who had just gotten married and was now spending her honeymoon in Key West, oh the irony of it all!

"Homer, you know her?" Jenna asked suddenly.

Homer jumped with surprise, unsure of what to tell Jenna since he had always told her that he never loved anyone but her, but now he knew he was busted because Marge would of course correct him if he said anything different.

"Marge, they're about to play our song, let's go," a voice called from a few feet away.

"Okay Artie I'm coming," Marge replied. "I'll be right back Homer; I would love to talk to you."

Homer watched Marge take Artie's hand toward the dance floor, Mr. Bouvier followed a little but was soon stopped by the crowd and had to watch from afar. Homer stayed put, still very surprised and shaking like a leaf at what he was seeing. He wanted to block everything out now but for the longest time he could not move, and he was unlucky enough to find himself staring through a gap in the crowd where he could see Marge and Artie dance to "They Way We Were" By Barbara Streisand. He could not believe this was happening, he could not believe that the person he cared so much about was now married to the person he hated so much. He wanted her but she didn't, and now she was dancing with the man she left him for on the night of the prom. His heart was breaking now and before he even knew it, tears were falling down his face.

"Homer, why are you crying?" Jenna said to him as she tried to look him in the eye.

"I…it's just that…I gotta get out of here," Homer sobbed.

And before Jenna could even reach out to him, Homer was pushing his way through the crowd and out the door, away from the most horrible thing he had ever seen. But he did not wait for Jenna to follow him, instead he ran, he ran as the tears fell down his face, he ran down the sidewalk toward the park, he ran through the cool grass in the park, he ran until he came to the end of a pier, unable to go any further. There he stopped and stared out into the water for the longest time before finally collapsing and began to weep heavily.

* * *

A/N: OMG what have I done? Yeah what a coincidence that Marge and Artie would be in Key West huh? Any way the next chapter will be very interesting and hopefully I can get it done quickly so you guys will know what happens.

So yes I am still alive after a weeklong trip across the country, what a fun trip too, glad I got to experience that. If you want to know what I did and saw, just go to my DA page, I have a nice journal about my trip there.

Also this chapter was dedicated to CalculatedChaos, who's birthday is today. He's a very good friend who has been a great inspiration, an amazing writer and just a great person to talk to. So go ahead and wish him a happy birthday and tell him he needs to stop being lazy and update his story. Or give him a pep talk about how awesome he is, it usually works, well sometimes any way. Hee

Well please review when you can, and look out for a new chapter soon.


	18. Love Lost

Jenna stood by the entrance of the hotel, surprised by the events that occurred only moments ago. Homer had run out of there so fast that she did not see which way he went yet she continued to scan through the darkness, hoping to spot him somewhere nearby. She knew that something in Homer's past had come back to haunt him, whoever this girl was that had just gotten married really upset him and she was curious to find out more. But should she go out and look for Homer? Comforting him was probably the best bet and to learn more about this person, but would Homer want to talk about it?

Jenna turned around and looked to where the stranger was dancing, the song they had played for her and her new husband was now over and a new song was playing for her and her father. Jenna moved forward and watched them dance while her brother played a slow song about love and life. One that he had written years ago in high school and would only play it during special occasions. She loved hearing it, and the song was perfect for the lovely lady and her father who looked a bit sickly from her point of view. But perhaps it was just her imagination, or maybe he always looked like that, either way they still looked very happy to have a nice daddy daughter moment.

Jenna let out a sigh, it kind of made her miss her father, he was still alive but lived in Atlanta with a big business firm with her mother. They moved there years ago and both Jenna and Mick had no interest in moving, they were old enough decide for themselves and stayed put in their little island paradise. Homer had met her parents two Christmases ago, and both approved of his charming nature, thank goodness, she really had no idea what would have happened if her parents did not approve. Maybe she would have just tried to get them to like him because he was an amazing guy, too bad she had no idea why he suddenly ran out on her moments ago.

After watching a few more minutes, Jenna decided to see if she could find Homer. Carefully making her way through the crowd she walked back to the entrance and stood outside looking every which way, hoping to see his familiar shape among the many cars, palm trees, and buildings. But there was no sign of him, she knew a park was nearby and she wondered if he was there. It was probably best to try that place first and then work her way around the area. She was about to walk off when a voice called to her.

"You were with Homer weren't you?"

Jenna turned around and there was the woman she had been watching and questioning only moments before. Why was she even out here? She should be inside, at her own party enjoying the company of so many people celebrating an amazing occasion for her.

"Uhh…oh yes of course, but he just ran off," Jenna replied calmly.

"Ran off?" Marge asked.

"Yeah he watched you dance and started to cry, then he just ran off without waiting for me. I really don't know why. How did…I mean I don't mean to ask but how did you know him?" asked Jenna.

"We went to high school together, never actually met until Senior year, he asked me out on a date to the prom during a tutoring session I gave him for French, I said yes before he told me that the tutoring was just a scam, that he never took French, he just wanted to get to know me better. Well he still thought I wanted to go with him and well he tried to pick me up that night, but I turned him down and went with my husband in there. He wasn't very happy about it, in fact he followed me around for a few months hoping I would get back with him, but I never did. Apparently he still hasn't forgotten about it," Marge replied.

Jenna listened intently to the woman's story; it was something she had not expected at all. Homer had once told her that he never fell in love with anyone and that she was the first. Now someone he knew from his past was emerging and saying that he had fallen in love with her. Was it really true or was this woman making up a silly story and she just knew Homer personally? She had just met this woman and she had no idea what she was really like, only that she knew Homer and something had set him off.

"I better go find him then," Jenna finally said.

"You want me to help you at all? He might need some talking to from me again," Marge replied.

Jenna stared back, surprised that the bride of the party was offering to help to look for someone when she had a whole bunch of people waiting for her in the hotel. "But your party," Jenna said worriedly.

"They won't miss me too much, I told my husband Artie that I was going to say hello to Homer and I would be back soon. Everyone seems to be getting drunk any way," Marge said.

"Well if you're sure I guess I would like your help, I think he went to the park, so we can search from there," Jenna said.

"Alright then, just lead the way, I will try to catch up with this dress, the shoes can stay behind," Marge said as she set the shoes aside by the entrance. "Oh and before I forget, my name is Marge."

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Jenna," Jenna said as she held out her hand to shake Marge's. Then with a nod, both girls made their way toward the park, hoping to find the troubled soul.

* * *

Homer let his legs dangle from the edge of the dock; the water barely touched his toes as he looked down at it with a sad face. He could not believe he had crashed the only wedding he never wanted to attend. He could not believe Marge had ended up marrying the one person that did not seem fit for her. But apparently they did well together and that's all that seemed to matter to them since they wanted to live their life together forever.

He would have loved to have done that with her, he knew he fit with her, but Marge did not believe it was possible. He knew he lost her years ago, but why did it still hurt so much? He was with Jenna now, he should be happy about that, but for some reason he sensed there was something lacking about her and he had no idea what. Sure he still loved and cared enough about her, but at the moment, well he just couldn't put his finger on what it might be. He let out a sigh and pulled the ring from his pants pocket. He stared at it for the longest time, watching the color sparkle and dazzle in the moonlight. He really did pick out a lovely ring; he just wished he actually had the heart to propose.

"Homer?" A voice suddenly called from behind.

Homer gasped with surprise and quickly put the ring back into his pocket before turning around to find not Jenna, but Marge staring back at him with worried eyes. She looked lovely in the moonlight, just like the night of the prom, only more dazzling and more mature. She had not aged much, in fact she still had the same look to her from the last night he saw her after the graduation party all those years ago. Her hair had grown longer and was up a little bit higher, but other than that she was still the same woman he fell in love with years ago.

"Oh, hello Marge. I uh…didn't mean to crash your party, I just wanted to have some fun since Jenna's brother was performing for you tonight," Homer replied.

"Well you didn't ruin it or anything so I forgive you, but what are you doing in Key West any way? Do you just follow her brother around?" asked Marge as she moved forward and actually sat down beside him. Homer held his breath, surprised she had done so.

"No, I actually live down here now, I work for a friend of mine who owns a bar down here, I've been here for about two or three years now. I've kind of lost track," Homer replied with a sigh as he looked back at the water, avoiding her eyes.

"That's wonderful Homer! Looks like life is working out for you, especially since I see you have a girl," Marge said.

"Oh Jenna? Yeah we've been together for a while, met her the first day I got here, but I didn't ask her out until a few months afterward. I was a little shy about it, especially after the time I asked you out, I didn't want it to end the same way," Homer said.

Nearby, Jenna, who was still searching for Homer, heard his voice and looked up to find him talking to Marge on the end of the dock. Instead of joining them, she decided to eavesdrop and quietly made her way down underneath and leaned against a pole to listen.

"That's wonderful! I'm happy for you! I was hoping you would one day find someone to make you happy," Marge said excitedly.

"Yeah…" Homer replied with a sigh and continued to look down at the water, never bringing his eyes up to look at Marge.

Marge looked back at him, apparently by the way he was acting, he was still not over her. It had been nearly five years now, they had barely gone out at all during those few weeks in high school and yet he still seemed to care about her. It was a very strange feeling to Marge and she really did not know what to think about it. Would Homer think about her for the rest of his life while she was happily married? She had told him once that he needed to focus on the future, but apparently that was hard for him to do.

"Are you not happy?" Marge asked.

"Oh I am happy, but I've been trying to get you out of my mind for months now and it sort of has been working. A few times I've gone a few days without thinking about you, but then you show up again and now I have to start over," Homer said as he looked back at Marge with sad puppy dog eyes.

"Homer, why do you still care any way? We only talked for a few months before going our separate ways and we only dated for a few hours, we never even kissed," Marge said a little worriedly. Now things felt as if Homer had been stalking her even though he was thousands of miles away on an island.

"Because I think you should have given me a chance, I just wanted to get to know you better because you seemed like an amazing person and I was right because you are. I thought things would work out between us, and it sort of did until I became honest with you and just because of that, you got angry. Do you get angry when Artie is honest with you?" Homer asked as he raised his voice a little.

"Now Homer, it's a little late for that isn't it?" Marge asked.

"Well do you?" Homer asked.

Marge sighed, he was never going to forget this, even when he turned old and senile the one thing he would remember would be her. "No Homer I don't."

"See I bet you would have had patience with me and would have loved my honesty, but instead you go out with the stupid nerd and I'm stuck with finding a spare for myself to make me happy."

Neither Homer nor Marge heard it, but Jenna let out a surprised gasp at what she had just heard. Did he really mean that, or was he that angry at this strange girl she never knew about?

"Well has she?" Marge asked.

Homer looked back at Marge, she liked honesty and he knew he had to tell the truth. Jenna wasn't there so he knew he could say what he wanted without her getting mad, well at least he thought so any way. He had no idea she was a few feet away where the beach began listening to everything they had to say. Jenna was now on baited breath, ready to hear what Homer had to say about her and what she meant to him since day one.

"She has, but I still think you made a mistake, I still think we were meant to be together. But of course I am usually wrong, and that Jenna is the one for me, but then why do I still think about you?"

Marge pondered what Homer said for a moment, she really had no idea what to say and it was making her uneasy. She was ready to go back to the reception, away from him and back into Artie's arms. That seemed like the best solution to her, he needed to sort this out on his own, it was too late for her to give him a chance now, she was married to Artie and that was that.

"…I don't know Homer, but like I've said before, stop thinking about what might have been, it's over, take care of yourself and love the woman you are with now. Soon you will realize that it did work out okay and that the right choice was finally made."

With that being said, Marge got up and started walking away, back to the hotel to be with her husband, family and friends, leaving Homer alone on the dock to think things over. But he only had to think about it for a second though. He realized what her last name was now and it just didn't seem to fit her at all. Everything didn't seem right to him and even though his dating time with Marge was short, it still felt like years because he had such a great time with her. Sure he made her stay up all night, but it really didn't hurt her GPA, it was just a fun little academic thing that she didn't even pursue further. So really, he did her a favor, but that still wasn't enough and now she seemed so happy, but to Homer, it just didn't seem right.

"Marge Ziff!" He said with great spite after thinking things over for a moment.

Marge turned around and saw Homer standing behind her and glaring, his fists tightly clenched as if he was ready to rumble with Artie for Marge's affection. That was enough to make Marge back away further, to run and never look back. To never see the young man who always pined for her. She didn't care if he loved her, she didn't love him and he needed to understand that.

"Homer, I never loved you, so stop it, stop pining for me, move on before it destroys you," Marge yelled loud enough for Homer to get the message.

But Homer didn't seem to get it, instead he moved forward, his fists still tightly clenched. Marge backed away, thinking about running but knew that Homer would probably catch up to her. She knew she had to fight back and was just about ready to smack him in the face when Jenna suddenly appeared and did the job for her. Homer leapt back with surprise before staring back at Jenna; she had never done that to him before so this pain was new to him.

"Homer, how dare you try to injure someone for not loving you, you should be ashamed of yourself," Jenna yelled as she stood between Marge and Homer.

"I wasn't going to hurt her," Homer began while he rubbed his face.

"Yeah right and Ernest Hemmingway wasn't suicidal. She doesn't love you Homer so leave her alone!" Jenna yelled.

"But…" Homer tried to respond but Jenna glared back at him, Homer quickly backed away a little, afraid Jenna would slap him again.

"Marge, go back to your party, I am going to have a little talk with my so called boyfriend," Jenna said with so much spite in the word "boyfriend" that even Homer knew he was in big trouble.

Marge said nothing but quickly made her way off the dock and back toward the hotel, the party would most likely be missing her now, and now all she wanted to do was curl up next to Artie in the room and forget the whole fiasco ever happened. She hoped that Jenna would deal with Homer properly and that he would finally get it, it would probably take all night but hopefully something good would happen in the end. She wasn't interested in finding out; hopefully she would never see him again.

Jenna watched her leave, making sure she was heading back safely without Homer following her, but Homer was too afraid to move, not after what Jenna had just said and done to him. It was best to keep his tail between his legs and look innocent.

"I can explain Jenna," Homer began.

"Oh can you now? Or do you even want to talk to your so called spare!" Jenna spat.

"Jenna, I was just making a point to Marge, I really didn't mean it. I really do care for you," Homer replied.

"Oh really? And yet you've thought about her the entire time we were together, how do you think that makes me feel?"

"Umm…not happy?" Homer asked as he twiddled with his fingers.

"Not happy! Not only am I not happy but I am furious! You still had your mind on another woman while we went out together, while we talked together, why I bet you even had your mind on her during our most intimate relationships!"

Homer looked at the floor as Jenna said this, not only was he guilty of all three, he was too ashamed to say yes to all of them. He just let Jenna figure them out on her own which she of course did only seconds later.

"I can't believe it! Homer, you backstabbing bastard! You've betrayed me, all because you can't let go of your freaking past!"

By this time, Jenna was almost screaming as she talked back to Homer. Poor Homer could not even speak up; he was that shocked that Jenna could get angry about something he had kept a secret for all these years. He knew what he had done was unforgivable, but he tried to get Marge out of his mind, he really did, and he thought Jenna would be the perfect candidate for that. But it didn't work, and now as he thought about it, she really was just a spare to fill the void that Marge had abandoned before she even tried all those years ago. Homer looked back at her, she was a little hard to see under the moonlight, but he could see her just enough to see tears forming in her eyes. He knew it was not because she was yelling at him but because of the secret he had kept all those years ago.

"If it makes you feel any better, I still love you and want to continue being with you," Homer said after many moments of silence.

Jenna let out a sigh as she faced the other way, trying to think of a good comeback to him so that he would understand how much this hurt her. Finally she turned around, letting the tears fall down her face and spoke. "Homer, I want to tell you about Dwight, the boyfriend I had before you. We met after he broke up with his girlfriend due to some issues that I have long since forgotten. He said he was over her, he said I mattered more to him than she ever did. Until one day I caught him, I caught him with the girl on the beach. We had a long discussion about what happened, and we almost split, but he did not want to and said he promised he would never do it again and that he still loved me dearly."

"But as the months went by, I felt our love was not as strong as it once was and it didn't feel the same at all. I was feeling miserable around him but he did not seem to notice and I knew after a while that he really did not love me as much as he said he did. I knew it was true when I found him with the girl again four months later. And that's when I finally said goodbye, when I finally said enough, I wasn't happy and I was ready to move on.

"I spent a few months, getting over Dwight, hoping that I would find the right love one day, and then I met you. I knew right away that something good would come from you and I was so happy when you finally wanted to spend time with me, especially since you said that you never fell in love with anyone, until I learned the truth tonight. So don't say you love me because I know in your heart you really don't, if we continue on like this we will both be miserable, knowing that you are pining for someone else."

Homer stood there, amazed and saddened by what Jenna said. He felt terrible now; he had come into her life promising a good relationship, one that would go far if he was able to propose. But now was not even the right time for that. She would probably only stare at the ring for a while and then angrily say no. But he wanted to fix this, he had spent a long time with her now, he did not want to give up, she was the reason for his happiness down here, not the fishing or the job, but to finally have a girlfriend. To finally feel like he was needed and felt like he belonged there, to finally accomplish something at the right time. But would Jenna want to fix it too?

"Jenna is there anything I can do to make it up to you. Fix it all so that it will be just a funny memory?" Homer asked as he moved closer to her and tried to grab her hand. Jenna quickly pulled it away from him and started to cry.

Homer waited for her; let her regain her posture so she could decide what she wanted. Sure they had some fond memories together, but tonight changed everything; it was a heavy blow for both of them and one that Jenna could not take lightly, not after what she had told him. Jenna had to decide what was best, what could work, what could make them both happy. As he waited, he began crying too, knowing that he lied to her and had broken her heart by calling her a spare. As he thought about it, he realized how selfish that sounded, he felt terrible about it and even thought of running away before knowing the answer. But he knew he had to hear it, he knew what Jenna was going to say would change both their lives.

"I'm going to Tampa and I am getting my degree starting this summer," Jenna began between the tears.

"Oh good, I am glad you want to pursue that, I'm still not sure what my degree will be but…" Homer began before Jenna interrupted.

"You will stay here, if I want you back in my life then I will come looking for you," Jenna replied.

"But I said I could make it up to you, I could do anything for you," Homer said as he desperately tried to get her to change her mind.

"And you could start by leaving me alone and letting me go my separate way. If you can't commit to someone then its best to let them go," Jenna said.

Homer let out a heavy sigh, he knew he tried and he knew there was no stopping her. It was like trying to get Marge to fall in love with him but it not working out. He was now a bachelor again and there was no way of knowing if he could ever win Jenna back, he would just have to wait on the sidelines and see. Or he would have to move on again and find someone else, something that seemed too impossible to do at the moment.

"Can we still be friends?" Homer asked hoping that maybe they could keep in touch as the years go by.

Jenna looked back at Homer for a brief second, her eyes misty with tears before finally moving forward and grabbed Homer to kiss him on the cheek one last time. "Goodbye Homer, I hope things turn out better for you one day."

Before Homer could even respond, Jenna was walking off the dock and down onto the beach in the direction of where she lived. She did not look back nor did she stop to think about what she had done. She just kept walking away from the person she thought would be in her life forever until she finally knew his true feelings. Homer watched her go, he watched her silhouette become smaller and smaller as she moved down the beach until she was nothing but a speck near the horizon. The only proof that she had been there were the few footprints that had not been washed away by the waves.

Homer let the tears fall down his face; he could not believe that a great relationship could change just like that in an instant. Things were so perfect, then Marge had to suddenly appear again, Homer just couldn't seem to keep his luck going. He pulled out the ring from his pocket and held it in his hand for a moment, staring at the lovely detail that it had been given months ago to be sold. It was the perfect engagement ring for Jenna, but to Homer it was now useless. There was no use for it any more now that Jenna was out of his life. Finally without a second thought, Homer clutched it in his hands tightly before throwing it as far as he could into the water. He watched it sail through the air before it landed in the water with a soft plunk, leaving ripples behind before a small wave engulfed them. There was now no trace of the beautiful ring Homer had worked so hard to get, instead it was now part of the ocean, and there it would remain.

* * *

A/N: You know sometimes when you write something, it makes you feel for the characters and well sometimes it makes you cry. This sort of happened while writing it, but then when I went over it again the next day, for some reason it just didn't seem as sad as I thought. I really don't know maybe it's just my imagination so I will let you all decide. But yeah look what I just did! Did he deserve it? Maybe. Is there a reason behind this? Yeah probably.

Oh and remember when I said that this will be a long story, well I think I am just now getting to the halfway mark. Yup I still have a long way to go. But hopefully that will not keep you away from it. Hopefully you will want to stay tuned for more, because things are going to get a little nuts around here. And yeah it was a long chapter but I think it got the point across really well. Next chapter probably won't be as long, but I am probably lying so don't believe me until you see it, heck I was surprised by how long I made this.

Any way please review when you all can, I will have my next chapter up in the near future.


	19. Right or wrong?

The party was showing signs of slowing down as Marge returned to the hotel. The band that Homer knew was playing a soft melody that seemed to say it was time to rest up for a new day. A few people were mingling by the door enjoying the last few sips of their liquor and remembering old times together. As Marge looked around, she noticed that her parents were nowhere to be seen as they must have gone off to bed after all the excitement. Some people were still dancing, some were sitting down watching. It had been a very nice party and she was glad that Artie had suggested it. Now where was he?

Marge searched the room until she found him mingling with a few guys near the stage. He had a glass of scotch in his hand and was laughing at the silly joke the one of the guys were telling, but he quickly ignored the conversation when Marge made his way toward him. He gave her a warm smile before bidding his friends adieu and walked over to her while the glass of scotch was still in his hand.

"How was the conversation with Homer?" Artie asked as he took a sip. Apparently he hadn't had too much yet, he still sounded very sober. She knew it would change probably, unless she wanted him to go to the room with her. But for some reason, spending time to herself for a while seemed like a better idea to her. Artie would most likely be okay with that, they had shared the same bed for nearly a week now; some down time was probably in order.

"It was okay I guess, apparently he lives here and works with the guy on the guitar," Marge replied.

"Well that's a bit surprising, I was thinking he was still in Springfield in the gutter somewhere," Artie replied with a short laugh as if what he said was extremely funny.

"Or at least working at something dealing with minimum wage like burger flipping or box manufacturing or even chicken sexing," one guy replied.

"Dude, people will have sex with chickens for money?" Another guy asked in astonishment, this guy had clearly been drinking way too much already.

"No you dumbass, they just check the baby chickens bottom to see what sex they are for processing and stuff," the other guy replied.

Marge rolled her eyes, clearly this conversation was going nowhere spectacular and at the moment she really was in no mood to hear anyone making fun of Homer. He was just a confused man who went through a lot, he couldn't help it and hopefully tonight he would finally understand that he and Marge would never work out. With any luck, she probably would never see him again, unless he came back to Springfield for something, but the chances of seeing him on the street were slim so she really had nothing to worry about.

"Artie, you don't mind if I go to our room now do you?" Marge asked after watching the guys argue for a minute. She was tired now, especially after the talk with Homer. She felt she got nothing accomplished out of that, but hoped it did work out with Jenna. She seemed like such a sensible young lady who seemed perfect for Homer, he should be happy to have her, they were the perfect match from the few minutes she saw them together.

"Sure babe, I'll just mingle with the guys for a few hours," Artie replied as he took a sip of his scotch.

Marge knew he would be gone for a while, most of the guests here were his friends, she never made many, so the ones she did invite were few and of course most of them had called it an early night.

"I'll be waiting for you," Marge replied as she gave her husband a kiss on the cheek. Artie gladly accepted it and gave her a quick hug before he turned back to his friends to talk.

Marge watched him for a second before letting out a yawn, she really was tired. She and Artie had been planning this for weeks now, staying up late with Artie hoping to make everything perfect for the both of them and even having restless nights because of it. Bedtime did seem like the best option now that things had quieted down and no one was willing to bother her. Yes, sleep was good, tomorrow was another day. She was going to visit the Dry Tortugas with Artie first thing in the morning, then if there was time, a marine sanctuary. What a great idea for a honeymoon.

Quietly she made her way up to her room and opened the door. It was a lovely suite overlooking the sparkling water that shone in the night. There was a king sized bed for the both of them and a nice big TV if they felt the need for something to watch. Marge let out a sigh and closed the curtains before putting on her nightshirt and putting herself to bed. She had not sat on it yet, but when she did, she already felt the welcoming embrace of it and quickly lay down. Not long after, she was sound asleep, dreaming of her wonderful new life.

* * *

The hours passed, and one by one, all the guests began to make their migration to their rooms for a good night's sleep. The ones that did stay up were a small group of Arties good friends who sat at the hotels bar talking about random things and just enjoying the night in Key West. All of them were being easily amused by Artie and his lame jokes thanks to him and his never-ending tab that he set up. So by around midnight the guys had their fare share of booze before finally deciding to call it a night. Artie did not realize that all of them where gone until his friend Phillip left him alone in the bar.

But he did not mind, he sat there alone, sipping his scotch while the bartender helped out a few other guests at the hotel. He knew it was probably best to call it a night himself, Marge was probably waiting for him or most likely asleep since she had left him alone hours ago. He knew he could stay where he was for another two hours, enjoying the silence before finding his way to his room and meeting up with friends again tomorrow. But bed did sound kind of nice, like Marge, he had been sleeping less lately, and a long night's sleep was in order. He did wonder how the conversation with Homer went too, but knew he would not find out until morning.

He was so wrapped up in thought that he did not notice a young lady slowly making her way toward him until she was inches away leaning against the barstool.

"Is this seat taken?" she asked calmly.

"All yours," Artie replied without looking.

The woman took her seat and asked the bartender for an apple martini. She remained silent for a long time, even though she would often glance at Artie hoping to get his attention. But apparently he was too busy staring at his ice cubes melting than at a strange girl he barely knew. That is, until she finally decided to talk.

"So, what's it like to be married now?" The girl asked as she turned to face him. She had a martini in her hand and her legs were crossed. Still it did not cover up much; her short skirt was rather short.

"Oh it's not too bad at all; I got the girl of my dreams. Sure it's a little nerve racking at first because you realize that you will spend the rest of your life with her, never to really have time to yourself, but I know things will work out," Artie replied as he turned to the girl. Once he got a good look at her, he stared back in shock.

It was Gina Bannelli, one of his friends from the internships girlfriend who was believed to have quite a reputation like Olivia. Artie could definitely see that in her with her long black hair that matched her long legs. She was wearing a very tight skirt that had to be two sizes too small. Her breasts looked like they were about to burst out of the dress and the skirt itself was very short. If she wanted to, she would reveal a lot more than she already was.

"Oh Gina! I didn't know you were still up," Artie replied.

"Yeah Joe decided to turn in early. I decided to get myself one more cocktail, I wasn't expecting you to be down here, especially since you are newly married and would probably want to be with your wife," Gina said.

"Well we have been together for days now, I think it's nice to have a little quiet time and just enjoy some scotch," Artie replied as he shook the ice filled glass before setting it back down in front of him. One more couldn't hurt.

"Oh dear, that doesn't sound good at all," Gina replied in a tone that sounded serious but in reality she was hoping to bait him.

Artie stared back at her for a moment before finally responding. "What do you mean?" Apparently he was getting tired; his reaction time was rather slow.

"Well," Gina began as she took another sip of her martini. "I know you've heard about my reputation?"

"Yeah, no offence but we do wonder on occasion," Artie replied.

"None taken, you see Olivia and I did work together in the strip bar in the bad part of town and well, how do I put this, you know when a marriage doesn't work when you are better than what the woman he loves does," Gina replied.

"And why are you telling me this?" Artie asked raising an eyebrow and looking back at her suspiciously.

Gina was silent for a moment a she ruminated with the martini in her hand before getting off the stool and grabbed Artie by the arm. "Let's talk in a more secluded spot; the bar doesn't seem like the best place for this conversation."

Artie knew he had no choice and had her lead him toward a pair of couches on the other side of the bar. There were some fake palm trees all around the area so it seemed like the perfect place to talk, Gina took a seat on one side while Artie sat on the other, a coffee table separated both of them from being too close.

"Yes this is definitely more comfortable, plus people can think that we are just catching up on things," Gina said as she set her drink down and crossed her legs as she stared back at Artie with a smile on her face.

"So what are we talking about now?" Artie asked.

"Well, you have said that you are happily married, but for some reason I see something very different. You seem to want to go your own way, that you like your peace and quiet away from her. Not that it's a bad thing, but it's a little early to want to do that," Gina replied.

"Well, the guys just wanted to talk to me and Marge was tired, I see no harm in that," Artie said.

"I guess not, but what surprises me most is how you were willing to cheat on her the day you wanted to propose."

"I didn't cheat though; I caught myself before I went further. But I love Marge enough to know I want to be with her through thick and thin."

"Ah but would you give into temptation even though you are now married?" Gina asked in a rather seductive tone as she uncrossed her legs for just a moment to set her drink down, bending down just enough for Artie to see her cleavage before sitting up straight once more with her legs crossed.

Artie stared at her, this was a test Gina liked to play on married men, she had seen this many times before in the club. Newly married men revealed that they were not really ready for a big commitment and were willing to see someone else. Even men who had been married for years had fallen for this and they even admitted that they were no longer enchanted by the women they loved. Olivia and Gina were more for them and they would often leave the club with the two girls beside them or saying they would be back for more. Gina wondered if this was what would happen to Artie, he had made love to Olivia months before, and would he do it again? His eyes seemed to say yes but she knew he would lie. She waited for his response, but he seemed to be in a trance, until he realized she was waiting for an answer before bringing himself back to reality.

"Huh? Oh of course not, I made her mine and that's who I need to stay with," Artie said.

"That's what a lot of men say, but they forget why they really got married," Gina replied.

"Oh and what do you suppose the reason is?" Artie asked.

"Why love of course," Gina said with a bit of a laugh, expecting this. "But as I've watched over the years, love just doesn't seem like the biggest priority to them. They just seem to know them a long time and want to settle down with them. But then something happens, and they lose interest and things get a little hairy."

"But I did marry for love, Marge is the one for me, I just know it. Whenever I think about her, I imagine her charming smile, her lovely eyes and a body that just calls out for my affection. And she loves me just as much, she said yes that's got to mean something," Artie replied with a sigh before slinking in the chair at the thought of a scantily clad Marge spending the evening with her.

"Well you did ask her in a difficult time in her life, you were there for her that was enough for her to say yes. But I still see something different," Gina said as she started getting up.

"You're wrong," Artie said.

"Sure I am, and you haven't been watching my every move," Gina said with a smirk as she sat down beside him and tickled his shoulder. Artie let out a shudder before backing up a little while staring at her cleavage at the same time. "I can prove it too, just come to room three hundred and sixty in ten minutes. I can give you the time of your life."

As she said this, she slowly began untying Artie's tie until it just hung from his collar. But Artie barely noticed as he stared back at her with intense amazement and satisfaction. This girl really knew how to push the right buttons and it got him interested enough to want to follow her. But he stayed put in the chair as she slowly began to walk away, her butt swaying back and forth with her tightly bound clothes. He kept watching her until she was out of sight and once she was; Artie let out a sigh and looked around the room.

Everything seemed so strange where he was sitting. Nothing felt right and he felt a little dizzy and nervous, but also felt the urge to follow that girl. A girl that could mess up his life entirely. Should he go to her room or back to Marge? For some reason his mind was making him feel torn both ways and he knew this was not the right way of thinking.

He had made love to Olivia before and remembered the guilt he felt afterward, but Marge never knew and now it was just a silly little memory. He could probably do it to Gina too if he wanted, Marge was probably sound asleep in bed anyway, and one more little fling with another girl probably wouldn't hurt. Sure he loved Marge and cared very much for her, but at the same time he wasn't afraid to be a little frisky, no harm would be done and just like Olivia it would be a silly memory over time. Those girls really knew how to tempt him with their curvy hips and there big giant bosoms. Of course Marge did that too, but these girls, they were just so different, mainly in personality and of course in their habits of having sex.

Gina would be very different from Marge that was for sure. Now that he was married to Marge, he knew that she was very soft and careful. Gina, like Olivia, would be more wild and crazy, mainly because of working at the strip club and being around so many different guys. Maybe one more couldn't hurt, no one would know and he could do it quickly, just slip in and slip out within the hour. Once this was over, it would never happen again and he would still be happily married to the woman he truly loved. These girls were just in it for the sex, there was no love involved, it was just a profession that was hard for them to get out of because they were so used to it. Artie knew he had to be careful with that and keep an eye on girls like that once he returned to work again after the honeymoon.

Artie got up and made his way toward the elevator, he hit the number three button and as the elevator went up a thought suddenly occurred to him. He was in room three hundred and forty-five. Just a few doors down from Gina, now this was a problem. The elevator opened up and he stepped out and stared down the long hallway. A few doors down would be the woman of his life waiting for him to cuddle with him, while a few more doors down sat another woman waiting like a snake coiled in the bushes, waiting for her chance to strike.

Artie slowly walked down the hall, thinking things over on what to do, who he should go to and realizing what rotten luck he was in. He didn't want to make too much noise if he did go to Gina's room or Marge would hear. He had to think fast, but it was hard for him to do such a thing this late at night with scotch still fermenting in his system. He let out a sigh, he really wanted one last fling, but was too afraid to move forward.

He kept trying though and inch by inch he moved closer to his destination but of course he had to pass his own room and Marge. He was only a few feet away, when he suddenly saw the latch on the door of his room move before it was opened and a concerned looking Marge peeked.

"Oh there you are, are you finally done for the evening?" Marge asked.

"Yeah, everyone went to bed," Artie replied feeling a bit shy about what he was doing.

"That's good, I think it's time we got a good rest for tomorrow," Marge said.

"Yeah I agree," Artie yawned. He suddenly felt very tired now, probably from the booze and being up all the time these past few weeks. Being tired was not a good idea for someone like him if he went off sleeping with someone else for a while. He would probably end up falling asleep and not waking up until morning. He didn't want to know what Marge would think of that.

"Well come on then, I've been waiting for you for fifteen minutes," Marge said as she made her way to the bed. Artie held the door open and looked down the hall one last time. He saw Gina standing there waiting for him to come to her.

Artie shook his head, letting her know the invitation at been denied. Without a second glance, Artie quickly made his way into his room to the woman he loved and there he would stay.

* * *

A/N: I don't know if I should hate this chapter or not, the fact that it survived a major virus is pretty shocking so I give it credit for that. Yeah I got a virus a few days ago, definitely not something you want to deal with for hours on end. But my computer is fine again so no worries there. But this chapter, man I feel like I am missing something, maybe a good plot function, I have no idea. Still it just leaves you questioning how Artie will act later and what not.

So if you thought this chapter was okay, mediocre or awesome like some of you strange readers, then go ahead and review. And heck if you thought this chapter was crappy go ahead and let me know. I'm starting to wonder if I really needed it now. Who knows, until I get further in. Well see you all soon.


	20. Advice from Mick and Jimmy

It was early morning, the sun had only been up for a half an hour and most of the usual inhabitants were slowly waking up to another day of either fishing or opening shop somewhere. They all knew that the tourists would be up sooner or later, they just had to get up themselves to make the day great for those tourists.

Mick was not one of those people; he was up but not to keep anyone entertained or to go to work. He should have been sleeping after playing for the reception until at least midnight last night, but he only got three hours tops. He got home about an hour after playing and fell asleep for twenty minutes before the telephone rang. It was Jenna and she was crying. He had no idea how long he was on the phone with her, all he knew was that Homer had upset her greatly and that he had kept a secret from her for all the years they were together. He stayed on the line with her, letting her talk; comforting her over someone she had loved for so long and had called her a name that was only fit for a tire in the trunk. It didn't seem right at all, and he knew that all he could do was comfort her and hope for the best.

It was after four when the conversation ended, Jenna was exhausted and so was Mick. Mick told her to just take it easy for a few days and calm down over what happened. He went to bed immediately after he hung up, but he did not sleep much. All he could think about was Homer and how he loved Jenna so, yet apparently it was a fake love and one that angered him greatly. Finally at around seven fifteen, Mick got up, put on a clean pair of clothes and drove down to Moe's house. He did not care if everyone was still sleeping, he needed to get this over with and confront Homer. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he just had to get it out of his system, he had to talk to Homer about what he did.

He reached Moe's driveway and sat there for a moment, contemplating about what to say. He rubbed the early morning stubble on his chin as he thought, wondering how to handle this. Wondering if he should be kind to the bastard or go at him like a hungry lion. He had known Homer since he had been here, the young man always had an interesting zest for life and was very sensitive, kindness would help, but it probably would not get through to him much. No he had to be tough, after all, he did upset his sister and he hated it when his sister was upset. Granted this split up was not as bad as the last one, he nearly broke the other guy's neck for what he did, this time he just wanted to yell at Homer, to tell him how stupid he was for keeping his mind in the past, how it has ruined his chances of ever being with Jenna again. He had to let go, he had to move on, he needed a heavy talking to.

Mick finally got out of the car, made his way to the front door, and knocked loudly so that if someone was still sleeping they would hear it. He didn't have to worry though; it wasn't long before Moe opened the door a little surprised to see his entertainer up at such an early hour.

"Where is he?" Mick asked in a serious voice.

"Who?" Moe asked while wiping the goo on his hands onto his shirt, apparently he was making breakfast.

"You should know who, he had to have been up all night crying," Mick said with a glare.

"Oh you mean Homah? Yeah he's out in the screen room, drank about eight bottles of duff before finally crashing," Moe replied as he let Mick through. Apparently he knew what had gone on, but it didn't seem to bother him. This kind of stuff happened all the time at the bar, so he was used to lost loves.

Mick stomped past him and made a beeline for the back door and into the screen room. It wasn't long before he entered and found Homer sound asleep on his favorite chair against the wall, beer bottles strewn around him and Hemmingway the cat asleep on his lap. Barney was nearby, also asleep with beer bottles lying everywhere. Apparently the best way to get a woman out of their mind was to get wasted.

Mick grumbled under his breath and grabbed an empty beer bottle. There was a trash can by the door so he picked it up and brought it right next to Homer before throwing the bottle to the bottom of the trashcan as hard as he could. Hemmingway was the first to react; he let out a startled meow before digging his claws into Homer's pant leg before jumping down and running back inside. Homer let out a gasp as Hemmingway did so and stood up in shock to find Mick glaring back at him. Once Homer had Mick's undivided attention, he threw the trash can backwards just inches from Barney's head, yet the man still continued to sleep through it all.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Mick asked angrily, more so than he thought he would.

"It's called drinking your cares away, you ever heard of it?" Homer asked as he rubbed his sore leg where Hemmingway had dug his claws.

"Of course I have, I did it for a few days in Paris, never want to do that again. But that's not what I'm talking about," Mick replied, in a thoughtful way before remembering why he was really there.

Homer started rubbing his head as Mick began to talk, his late night binge drinking was finally catching up to him. He could sleep the rest of the day if he could, though now it seemed like Mick was keeping him from that. "Can you make it quick, I think the hangover's starting to kick in."

"Well you probably wouldn't have it if you kept your damn mouth shut last night," Mick replied. "You know how upset Jenna is right now; she called me at one a.m. telling me what you told an old friend of yours about her."

"Hey I told her I was sorry and I was willing to make it up to her, she was the one who wanted it to end, not me," Homer replied still rubbing his head.

"With good reason too! You can't just say things like that and expect the relationship to last. You hurt her feelings, and you know how women are, they are so wrapped up in emotion that it takes time for them to get over what went wrong," Mick replied as he walked back and forth in front of Homer. So much commotion had gone on that Moe was now standing by the doorway watching the scene unfold.

"Does she still want me back at all?" Homer asked.

Mick let out a sigh, obviously Homer was thinking more about Jenna than what he actually said to her. But that was probably what to expect out of someone who had at least eight beers before falling asleep in the screen room with a cat.

"At the moment, no. She needs some time to herself right now, but she also thinks she needs to move forward and she realized while talking to me last night that you were holding her back from her goals," Mick said.

"But she told me she was saving money with her job at the hotel," Homer replied.

"She finally had enough money about a year ago, she pointed that out to you, but you kept blowing her off and saying we're having a great time here. Do you really expect to work for Moe the rest of your life? No offense there Moe," Mick replied.

"None taken, but hey I guess the pay is good," Moe replied as he walked into the room and took a seat next to a still sleeping Barney.

"Well yeah, like Moe said, the pay is good and I have a good life here. I'm happier here, life is good and peaceful and fun," Homer replied.

"But Jenna does not work at a good job like you, she wants to make something of herself, and she didn't want to do it without you because she would have to go far to do it. You supported her, you were the man she always wanted, you were perfect for her. But then you screw it all up all because of a woman you barely even dated. What the hell is that? Were you actually thinking she would leave the man she married for you?"

"Well before they married sure. But you don't understand Mick, Marge is beautiful, smart, really sweet when she wants to be, and artistic, wow you would not believe some of the pictures she has done. Not only that but her hair reminds me of the ocean out here and…oh God Mick if only you would understand," Homer replied as he rubbed his eyes with his hands trying to make sense of it all for them.

"But did she ever love you?" Mick asked.

Homer opened his mouth, ready to say something, but that question stopped him. For the first time in his life, he realized that he was waiting for someone who never admitted to loving him back. She said she cared about him, but not in a loving way, just in a way that was enough to make them friends. He suddenly felt even worse than last night, he realized the mistake he made and how he had lost someone amazing just like that. What a stupid idiot he was!

"Free will's a bitch ain't it?" Moe replied.

"See Homer, you kept thinking about a girl who you cared for but she never did. And what were you gonna do if she did end up single again; just dump Jenna without a second thought? Because if that happened, I would totally kick your ass," Mick replied.

"I'm surprised you haven't done it now," Homer said.

"Nah, you haven't done something too regrettable, Jenna says she still loves you but sometimes separation helps strengthen a bond between two people. Maybe it will be a few weeks, maybe it will be a few months, who knows, all I know is, she was thinking about starting a summer class to get ready and be prepared for what lies ahead."

Homer let out a sigh, he really wasn't thinking about his future. His mind kept staying in the present and what he left behind. There was no way to turn back time, or to fix what happened the night before or any nights since then. He had to stay focused and think about what was really right for him. Sure working for Moe was a blast, but would he still be working there in five years or when he was old and gray? Would he find someone he really and truly cherished and wanted to be with the rest of his life like Jenna had been? And once that happened, would he be able to provide for her if they decided to start a family? These questions were very new to him now, he never actually thought about extending his loins, probably because he was raised by such a lousy father, and he didn't want to get stuck in that mess, either way it could happen one day as shocking as the idea was.

"Now you've made me wonder," Homer replied after a few minutes of sitting there in quiet contemplation.

"About what?" Mick asked.

"What my future holds, where I'll be in five, ten years. What I'll be doing, who I'll be with and if I have chosen the right path. But how can you tell if the path you choose is right? How do you know if you'll be happy? How do you know if giving up somebody is right?" Homer suddenly went silent; staring at an empty beer can between his feet. He kicked at it for a moment before finally looking back up at Mick with misty eyes. "Thanks now I feel lost."

"It's okay Homer, these questions often pop up in many people's heads and these questions bother many people because it worries them. The future is the most uncertain thing you can encounter, but you shouldn't get too discouraged because after a while you learn that your life was pretty amazing, I mean you're pretty lucky to live out here." Mick replied as he patted his friend on the shoulder, letting Homer sit there and contemplate what he said. That's when he remembered a song that he liked to play alone, mostly because it wasn't his, but it was a good song to contemplate to at a time like this. "Where's Roger's guitar?"

"In the living room why?" Homer replied.

"I think we should get some help from Jimmy Buffett here," Mick replied as he got up and ran to the living room before returning with Roger's beat up old guitar he got at a pawn shop a few years ago.

Mick sat back down and tuned the guitar to his perfect setting, stringing it for a bit before starting the song. "This one's called 'He Went to Paris' have you heard of it?"

"Once or twice," Homer replied.

"Well listen carefully to the story that Jimmy has told us," Mick said as he began the song.

**He went to Paris, looking for answers**

**to questions that bothered him so.**

**He was impressive, young and aggressive**

**Saving the world on his own.**

**But the warm summer breezes**

**The French wines and cheeses**

**Put his ambition at bay**

**The summers and winters, scattered like splinters **

**And four or five years slipped away.**

Homer listened intently to the song, a song so calming and peaceful that for a moment he forgot about his troubles. He just watched the ocean behind him, the boats that sped by and the occasional bird diving down for some fish. It was a beautiful place and one where Homer did not mind spending the rest of his life. But like Mick said, could he really do that?

Key West was not the biggest city in the world, only a little more than five square miles, not much in ways of big jobs or places to grow for a family. No this was more of a laid back town, where you could fish until your heart's content, drink until you had nothing left, and watched the sun slip into the horizon to bring on a new day. Thing were perfect here if you had plans and knew what the future could hold for you, Moe seemed to be doing that well. He had a house and a bar all to himself. He could get rid of Homer, Barney and Roger at any time. But he wasn't that heartless. No, they were important to him and he wanted them to be happy.

But would they always work for him? What would the years be like for them all? Would they want to move on after so many years of helping him with his business? He had not worried about that until now. Mick seemed to know what he was talking about, he had plans since he was sixteen, he always wanted to be a musician traveling the world. He already had his wish but was willing to keep going. Just from that experience, he was able to tell Homer that he needed to move on and forget what his past had done to him.

Of course it did sort of work until Marge returned to the picture, apparently the memories of her still stayed fixed in his mind even while around the wonderful Jenna. But now that the past had come back to haunt him, he had learned his lesson, it was time to move on, it was time to start planning ahead. It was time to decide what he wanted for the rest of his life. He still had no idea what big plans he wanted, but that was fine, he could figure it out, it would probably take a while but he would figure it out. Jenna had decided what she wanted and he was proud of her for that, too bad he was not going with her on what she was doing. But maybe she would return for him and he would have his life sorted out. At least that's what he hoped.

Yes, Marge never loved him, and it was time to accept that, and it was true that he could not dump Jenna if she ever became single again, that was just too cruel. Marge was happy now and that's what really mattered, she could not be miserable. What if she did go to him on the night of the prom? Would it even work out? Would they want to spend the rest of their lives together? Marge was so different from him that now that he was thinking about it, it was hard to comprehend. Acceptance seemed to finally hit him, but regret was still there as well, he had lost Jenna because of this and he hoped that he had learned his lesson.

But time would only tell, he wished he could embrace Jenna right now, tell her how sorry he was and hope that she would understand. But he knew it would be difficult. Jenna wanted a happy relationship and like she said last night, he did not want her to be miserable. He knew he would try too hard to make her happy and tensions would mount then the breakup would be even worse than before. No, he had to let her decide when it was time to get back together.

Just listening to the song Mick was playing made Homer wish he could travel, travel to this city called Paris and enjoy the warm summer breezes and those delicious French wines and cheeses. He would travel with the boys and learn about the culture and not have to worry about life in general, just have a great time. Maybe one day, when he knew what he was doing with life and that would probably take some time.

Mick finished his song and looked toward Homer; he was staring at the ground, deep in thought, while Barney still snored loudly nearby. It was amazing at what that boy could sleep through. There was a long pause for many moments before Mick finally brought the conversation up to speed again.

"So what are you gonna do with the ring?" Mick asked.

Homer looked up, almost forgetting that he had bought an engagement ring for Jenna a few weeks ago so he could pop the question. He had already upset Mick enough today with what happened last night; did he really want to tell him the truth? The idea of telling him it was in his underpants drawer seemed better than telling him it was at the bottom of the ocean now. But would Mick want to actually see it? That was a very good question and Homer was left to just stare back at Mick with a worried look unsure how to answer.

"I have a special place for it," Homer replied.

"Well then, just keep it safe, you never know when you might use it again," Mick said before letting out a yawn. Now that he got what he wanted out of his chest, the nights events were finally catching up to him.

"I'll do my best," Homer sighed knowing it was in a safe place because he could not even get to it.

"Very good, now I hope you don't mind but I must go back home for some rest, I am exhausted thanks to you," Mick said in a rather grumpy way that made Homer feel a little bad, but of course all that would be fixed with some sweet dreams.

Homer let out a shy sounding sorry as he watched his old friend make his way into the house and head out the door. He was gone before anyone could blink an eye. Moe stood nearby as if waiting for Mick to burst back in to talk some more. Once it was established that things were back in order, Moe walked back into the kitchen to finish scrambling his now burnt eggs. For a moment Homer watched from the entrance of the screen room until finally he made his way to his room and shut the door behind him. There he would stay, nursing his hangover until evening.

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A/N: Yeah my ending probably needed a little work but I really could not come up with something better, so I apologize. I hope you liked the other parts of it though. I had it in my mind for a very long time now. Jimmy Buffett is a great singer to work with and if you haven't heard "He Went to Paris" I highly suggest you find the time to do so. It's a beautiful song and in my opinion even better than Margaritaville. Of course I'm just weird that way.

Well now that I got this chapter out of the way, it's time for me to work on the third chapter to Hope and Expectations. Chnprod has been waiting patiently and I really don't want to keep her waiting any longer. So yeah time for me to tell about their opinion on Maggie. This should be interesting. Hopefully it won't sound too repetitive but we will see.

Well please review when you can, I will see you all later.


	21. Fishing in a storm

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Chnprod22, it's her birthday September 20th, she deserves a nice little present from me for being such a nice friend. Hope you all enjoy this.

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"The National Weather Service in Miami has issued a tropical storm warning for those located in the Key West area. At eight P.M eastern standard time, top meteorologists tracking Tropical Storm David have noted that the sustained winds of the storm have increased to seventy-five miles an hour. Turning this tropical storm into a hurricane. David is expected to hit the Keys tomorrow afternoon as a weak category one storm. Though this storm is small and not as powerful as most hurricanes, it is advised that those who do not wish to flee the storm must take proper precautions. This includes having emergency food, water, and gear handy, secure all important items, and stay away from rising water. Once again the National Weather Service in Miami has issued a tropical storm warning for the Key West area, please stay tuned for further announcements."

Moe and the gang listened to the news report in an almost empty bar. Homer, Roger and Barney looked at each other with nervous eyes. They had been through a tropical storm once and they remembered the heavy rains, the wind wasn't too bad but they knew that with this storm the wind would be stronger and the rains just as heavy, but even more dangerous would be the waves. Both Moe's house and the bar were near the water so it made the boys wonder how things would turn out after it was all said and done.

"Eh don't worry you guys, I went through my first hurricane a year after I got here. It wasn't so bad, just windy mostly," Moe said as he noticed the three staring out into the night with the look of nervousness in their eyes.

"But how big was that one? Was it like this one?" asked Roger.

"I think it was the same size and I think only part of it brushed us so maybe that one shouldn't count," Moe said as he began putting glasses away.

"Should we still batten down the hatches?" Barney asked.

Moe stood there for a moment, wondering if what Barney asked was a good idea. The tables were sturdy enough to go through anything. Even really drunk guys could barely knock those things down, the chairs would probably have to be moved and set over at a safe location. The glasses could be kept in the cupboards and hopefully they would not fall and break. The liquor bottles could be moved too. But other than that, everything else would most likely be fine. The house would have to be boarded up and things secured, like the boat, but that was really all.

"Yeah go ahead and gather all the chairs and put them in the back room where they won't float away if anything does happen," Moe replied as he began putting away all the beer mugs.

The boys immediately went to work, the bar was mostly empty any way, most of the inhabitants of Key West had moved north to higher grounds. Moe decided to stay, he knew evacuations were always a mess and was in no mood to be stuck in traffic for so many hours. He knew things would be fine, as long as he had emergency food and water.

As the group put things away, a familiar sounding car drove into the parking lot. Homer, Barney, and Roger tried to ignore it, they knew who it was and it was best to not be of any part of it unless Moe wanted them to. Of course Moe stopped what he was doing and glared at the front door, waiting for his competition to appear and give him crap. That was always the way with Patrick, never a moment of peace when he was around.

"So I see you aren't the only one staying behind," Patrick said as he made his way into the bar, a sly smile on his face.

"What does it matter to you, everyone is leaving for higher ground, there won't be much competition," Moe replied as he tried to ignore him while putting the rum down in a more secure cabinet.

"Oh that's not the competition I'm looking for, I actually plan on fishing right before the storm hits and I was wondering if you would like to join me," Patrick replied with a grin.

Moe stopped what he was doing, in fact everyone did. He and Moe had actually never fished together, sure they usually fished side by side but that was more with their rivalry than anything else. Why was Patrick suddenly doing this? And most importantly, why before a big hurricane?

"What's the catch?" Moe asked suspiciously.

"Why the biggest fish of the sea, haven't you noticed that some of the best fishing happens right before a big storm?" asked Patrick.

"No, I'm too busy staying safe," Moe replied as he turned away from Patrick and continued to secure his booze.

Patrick stood there watching him, the boys could tell he thinking long and hard about what to say to his best competitor. He was a sly one and usually came up with a good trick to talk someone into something he wanted them to do.

"So you don't want to have an adventure eh? You don't want to catch some of the biggest marlins before the storm hits, the papers will have something more interesting to talk about than some weak little storm. Like the weather man said, its only a category two, it's not gonna be that dangerous. Just a storm with a few small waves and wind. We'll be out of the water before it really hits us too. Right when the winds get rougher we'll leave and then wait to tell the news about our greatest catch of the day," Patrick said as he put his arm around Moe's shoulder.

"And besides fame, what else is there in this offer?" Moe asked as he shoved Patrick's arm off his shoulder.

"Well maybe respect from me for one thing, or even a bar-b-q to grill the best fish we caught. Whatever you desire," Patrick said as he grabbed a lone beer mug and rubbed a speck of dust off it.

Moe stared at Patrick, Patrick was apparently offering him something, anything he wanted, and he never did such a thing. Apparently this competition before a hurricane was something Patrick was waiting for. They had only competed against sales and now Patrick was ready to go out on the ocean and bring back something big. But what could he ask for from Patrick, the offer was too tempting, he would have to think about it, maybe not even tell him until after it was all said and done.

"Challenge accepted, but if I or any of my guys die in this, you're paying for the funeral," Moe said as he shook hands with Patrick.

Patrick only grinned, that was a good bargain, but hopefully it wouldn't happen. Hopefully this fishing trip would be a quick one and they would leave before the storm really hit. He knew timing was everything and had to keep his eyes on the sky. He knew he could do it too and that this would be a very memorable fishing trip.

The wind was blowing steadily as the clouds began to gather in the early morning hours. Moe stood on the dock and looked out into the ocean where the storm was slowly making it's way toward them. Homer, Barney, and Roger were busy assessing what they needed on the boat and hoping that the storm would be just like the weatherman said. They weren't really into the idea of going out to fish, but they knew Moe wanted to prove something to Patrick even though the risk was a bit stupid.

"Alright, you guys got enough bait for us?" Moe asked as he fumbled through is pockets looking for his boat keys.

"Looks like it will last all day if we want it too, but are you sure you want to do this Moe, it may seem calm now but things can change," Roger said nervously as he looked out over the horizon at the storm clouds.

"Of course I do! Besides, when the storm starts rearing its ugly head, we can just pack it all up and head back home," Moe said showing no signs of worry.

Even though he did say that they could head back home as soon as the storm hit, both Roger and Homer wondered if the boat could move faster than the weather. They had beaten storms before, but not one of this caliber and both were watching the clouds with nervousness. Barney was actually looking forward to the adventure. He was a little nervous too but he was more excited about competing with Moe. His last competition was with Bruce over a beer pong tournament a few months ago. Barney lost, so he was hoping to beat Bruce today and catch something big.

They were almost ready to go, when the familiar sound of Patrick's boat became louder and louder before it was finally docked right next to Moe's. Patrick had a huge grin on his face while both Bruce and Ian stood nearby looking eager to start.

"You ready yet Moe?" Patrick asked as he tried to keep the boat in one spot.

"I will be in a moment, gotta make sure I have everything, I wanna win this," Moe replied with an eager look on his face.

"Well may the best man win, as soon as you're ready, just pull out. I'll be out there waiting to take you to my fishing grounds," Patrick called back before he backed out and waited a few feet from the dock.

Moe watched him for a moment and rolled his eyes before taking what he had in front of him and tossed it into the boat. There was no more time for lollygagging, it was time to fish.

The water was a bit choppy as Moe steered the boat through the water. Homer, Barney, and Roger stayed seated nearby, trying not to get tossed from side to side as the boat rocked back and forth. The clouds were getting closer and they could see lightning in the distance. How soon the storm would reach them made them all wonder, but for now they needed to stay positive and have a nice time catching the biggest fish, well as long as they did not fall into the water first.

It wasn't long before Patrick finally stopped the boat and let it drift as he began taking out his fishing pole and bait. Moe drove next to him and stopped only a few feet away. That way they could stop and discuss how the fishing was going. Of course they would show off what they caught up close too, and maybe perhaps share some beers. Even though they were rivals, they could still be on friendly terms for a little bit.

"Barracuda the Marlin was actually seen here a few days ago, so maybe we'll get lucky and catch him. There's also a nice school of nurse sharks here too, fun to catch if you are interested," Patrick said while he was baiting his hook.

"I might take you up on that, if I can find the shark hook, you guys seen it?" Moe asked as he searched his gear for the hook he wanted.

"Last I saw one of those was after that fight we had with the tiger shark we caught just off the reef, I think we had to cut the line for that one," Roger said a little worriedly.

Moe stood on the boat for a minute contemplating on what to do about his missing hook. He wasn't mad, just upset that he forgot to go out and buy a new one. He did remember Barney mentioning that they had lost a nice fight with that shark, he had just forgotten that it was time to replace the hook. "Oh well, if I catch one I catch one," Moe said as he grabbed his pole and started knotting the best hook he could find to the line.

One by one they all cast out their fishing hooks hoping to snag something while the water pounded the side of the boat and thunder rumbled in the distance. Everyone watched the storm clouds gather in silence while they let their poles move up and down with the waves hoping for something to come up and snatch what was on their lines. But after nearly fifteen minutes of fishing, no one was getting a bite, a few nibbles here and there, but nothing too big. Finally, Patrick seemed to have enough of the silence and decided to start a conversation.

"Hey Moe, remember that tropical storm we had last year?" Patrick asked.

"Which one, we had two," Moe replied as he threw his line back into the water after checking to see if his bait was still there.

"The first one, I think they called it Bess or something," Patrick said.

"Oh yeah that one, spent three days cleaning up after that thing, geeze for a tropical storm, that one sure was messy," Moe said.

"It was, but before that storm hit, I caught two thirty pound tarpons out here and that was in a few minutes, I have no idea what's going on right now," Patrick said.

"Everyone but us is being safe," Roger said looking a little bored but also staring out at the storm as it churned in the distance.

Before Patrick could reply, Bruce let out a yell of surprise and jumped up as he began to reel in his fishing gear. "Looks like I got something!"

The boys watched as Bruce began to play tug of war for a good five minutes before the huge fish gave up and was scooped out of the water by Ian. It was a wahoo, a delicious fish that Patrick loved to catch since it was one of his most popular fish on his menu. This one weighed 20 pounds and he knew he would be selling that meat for a few days once the storm left the area.

Once he packed the fish into a special container that would keep it fresh until he got back, he turned to Moe's crew and let out a sly smile. "Let's see you catch something like that," he said before grabbing his pole and waiting to catch something else.

"Smug Bastard!" Moe said in a voice that wasn't too loud but loud enough for Homer, Barney and Roger to hear. "Catch me something guys, I don't want to come back without something in our cooler."

"Well Moe, it really depends on the fish, that's why its called fishing and not catching," Barney said before he took a swig of beer.

Moe smacked him upside the head. "I didn't want some stupid quote about life, I want a damn fish!"

The boys stared at each other nervously, Moe now seemed a little too obsessed over the idea of beating Patrick in this. But of course this usually happened with all rivalry's and the boys knew they could not stop Moe from achieving victory. He had beaten Patrick countless times before, but so had Patrick. There was no real prize to this, only the feeling of accomplishment. It wasn't long either before Moe felt that he was closer to victory when Roger felt a tug on the line.

Roger let out a whoop and a holler as he reeled the fish in. It wasn't too big of a battle, save for the fact that the waves were rolling and the boat was starting to rock more thanks to the storm. He was able to get the fish in after a few moments. It was a tarpon, about four feet long and weighing thirty pounds, a good sized fish but not the biggest, they knew they could find something even bigger. They still saved it though, it would make a for a good fry later.

The first two hours wore on, the weather barely changed during that time, but they could still see the storm churning out in the east, waiting to come toward them and bring the heavy rain. The waves were getting slightly larger, but not a big cause of concern yet, once they started rolling the boat and splashing over the sides, then it was time to move on.

From time to time, the boys kept catching different fish, some they kept, others were too small and had to be thrown back. So far nothing was very big and they all knew it was because of the weather. The fish were being smart, they chose to move to safer waters.

"I wonder if Patrick is just setting us up for this," Homer said in an annoyed voice as he continued to sit and wait for a tug on his line.

"If he was, then he is one mean character that we are dealing with, setting us out on the ocean like this before a big storm hits. I hope he and Moe know when the best time to leave is," Roger said.

"I don't think he would lure us out to our deaths if he came along, he must know what is a good time to fish and when its not. Though I am getting a little scared especially since the fish aren't biting as much as they usually do," Barney said before he took a big swig of his beer he had in his hand.

"I say we should only be here for another hour, because by then the storm will finally be here and we need to get while the gettings good," Roger said.

"I agree," Homer replied. Barney just nodded in agreement.

They all turned to Moe to see what he would say and apparently he had been listening to the conversation as well. He did not take his eyes off the ocean as he spoke. "We will leave when Patrick has had enough, I don't know when that will be, but hopefully soon. I'm getting a little nervous myself. Being honored more is not worth being killed."

The boys were a little surprised by his change of thought, but were glad he was agreeing with them. Perhaps they could forfeit, but then they did not want to make Patrick feel that he was the best in fishing and that he was more brave than them. They had to stick it out a little while longer, no matter how crazy and brainless Patrick was being.

It wasn't for another hour and a half before the weather really began to change, the winds started to pick up, the rain started as a light drizzle and then soon steadily onward. The waves were now getting bigger and the bites on the lines fewer. All of them now agreed, it was time to start packing up.

"We'll weigh the fish later, when the weather is better. For now we should all head back, I don't think it would be a good idea to keep going and then end up losing my best rival," Patrick said with a smirk as he began to rev up the engine.

"Glad you are thinking safe," Moe replied as he began to being his hook in so he could start the boat and make his way back.

The boys were very happy to hear this and all of them reeled the lines in, ready to head home were it would be safe from the dangerous storm. But that was not before Homer felt a tug on his line.

"Aww great, I got a fish," Homer said.

"Well hurry up and try to bring it in, we need to get going," Moe said as he started the engine.

Homer did his best to reel the fish in, but for some reason, this one was not about to let go. He kept trying to bring it in, but the more he tried, the more it fought back and after a few minutes, he was feeling exhausted trying to reel the fish in and hanging onto the side of the boat so he would not fall overboard.

"Moe I think I need help." Homer called nervously while he fought back.

"Well if he doesn't give up at all pretty soon, just let him go, sounds like he's big, but that's not worth trying to win something when a storm is about to hit," Moe said as he stood by Homer's side watching him try to bring whatever kind of fish was on the other side of the line.

"I wonder what you caught any way?" Barney said as he continued to watch Homer fight.

"Feels like a marlin," Homer replied. After many years of fishing, he had learned how each fish has a unique way of tugging at the line.

It wasn't long though before they finally got their answer, it was a marlin and it wasn't the one they were expecting at the moment. Moe was the first to notice the unique markings on the animal. The part of the sword missing, half a dorsal fin and the way it fought to keep itself from being reeled in.

Homer had caught Barracuda.

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A/N: So I decided to make this chapter short and to the point, mainly because I've noticed a lot of people not reading because my chapters are too long for them. Which is really sad because I've seen stories with much longer chapters than this. So let me know what you think of this length, if you don't then I will return to what I normally do.

Also I am very sorry about the long wait, I lost motivation because of the length of my chapters and I'm just a little stressed, hell as you can tell I still have no motivation. I just wanted to finish this for Chnprod because she is a nice friend and all. I don't know when I will update again, but I appreciate feedback, let me know how you felt about this chapter and if it was worth your time to read. I've also noticed that this story has taken me the longest to write, how sad because I was so excited when I first started out. Now I am just like "meh"

Any way please review and have a nice day.


	22. Fighting the storm

Homer could not believe it, out of all the stupid people out fishing in a storm like this, he had to be the one to catch the most notorious fish out there. Sure he had dreamed of one day catching Barracuda just to say he did, but why today? He wanted to get back on land before the storm really did any damage and now thanks to the idea of competition, he was now stuck out in the Atlantic with a hurricane bearing down on him and a fish on the other end of the line that would not let go.

Homer began to reel the fish in, but as soon as he did so, he could feel the weight of the animal as it tried to fight back and bring him down into the deep ocean with him. Homer knew he had to hang on though and tried his best to keep his weight back against the boat, away from the edge so he would not fall in. But thanks to the rain that was now falling at a steady pace, the floor of the boat was now very slippery and trying to stand up straight was a very big challenge.

Roger and Barney stood beside him, not sure what to do in this situation, knowing how important it was for the fisherman to get his fish in as quickly as as safely as he could. Both of course were very nervous, and both were thinking that it was better to cut the line and just get moving, but maybe, just maybe, Homer could bring the fish in in less time it took for someone to do so. Of course that had to be a miracle for that to happen. If Homer needed them, he would call, but right now he was too busy fighting the marlin to say anything at all to them.

Moe of course was watching from the captains room, wondering the same thing that Roger and Barney were thinking. Should they just let the fish go? Sure the fish was famous in these parts, and sure it had killed his uncle those years ago, but was it worth fighting for in this weather?

"Patrick to Moe! Patrick to Moe! Are you really thinking of bringing that fish in in this weather? Over!" Patrick called on the radio while his boat drove by them. Moe picked up the receiver and answered back.

"I believe Homer is thinking that yes," Moe replied grumpily.

"Well then good luck to you, I'm heading back to land where it's safer," Patrick said.

"Yeah you do that, ya moron, thanks for risking our lives, I'll make sure my fist meets your nose later," Moe said back with a growl hoping that Patrick got the message that what he made them do was a stupid risk.

"Hey the last time I went fishing, the weather wasn't this bad, not my fault it decided to turn to crap," Patrick said.

"Yeah but it's your fault we're stuck out here now, if we don't come back in one piece, your ass is mine," Moe said angrily.

"Yeah well, you have to come back first," Patrick said.

Moe was about to retaliate in anger, but Patrick had shut off his radio and could not be spoken to. The damn coward, he left them out there to fend for themselves, some competitor he was. Moe growled under his breath and looked outside at Homer and the guys. Homer was hanging on for dear life on a slippery deck while Barracuda showed no signs of giving up without a fight. Moe knew the fish well, he heard stories from other fisherman how they would fight for hours and almost get him in before he would cut the line and disappear the way he came. There was no way they would be able to land him any time soon. Homer needed to cut the line, they had to get out of there before the storm got any worse.

"Homah!" Moe called through the intercom.

"Ask that bastard what he wants would ya Barney?" Homer asked, not taking his eyes off the fishing pole.

Barney turned around and gave Moe a questionable look before Moe responded back. "Tell Homah to cut the line, we got to get out of here!" Moe yelled.

Barney nodded and turned to Homer. "Homer we need to get out of here!"

"But Barracuda is on the end!" Homer yelled. Sure he was scared and sure their lives were at stake, but now his adrenaline was pumping and he was willing to fight until the storm was over.

"I don't care if Farrah Fawcett is trying to hook up with us we got to get out of here!" Moe yelled.

Homer did not reply, he just kept his eyes on the pole and the prize as the fish lept out of the water just two hundred feet from them before diving back down and disappearing to dive as far as it could go. Now that the thrill of the chase was on, he wanted to keep going, he just couldn't stop.

Roger and Barney though knew this was a terrible idea, they were not going to win this, even if they tried. Finally Roger did the most sensible thing he could think of. He grabbed his Swiss army knife and ran toward Homer. Before Homer could even react, Roger cut the line and Barracuda was gone in a flash while Homer fell backward onto the slippery deck. Moe wasted no time to start the boats engine to get out of there so he could beat the worst part of the storm and be on safer ground.

Homer of course was very angry by what happened and tried to get up off the boat deck but of course all the water on it was keeping him from doing so. "You bastard!" he said to Roger. "I almost had him, things would have been fine in a few minutes."

"No it wouldn't have Homer, you were nowhere near bringing him in and this storm is getting worse, we got to get out of here," Roger said before a huge wave came out of nowhere and pounded the boat sending Homer and the boys down the ramp and to the back of the boat.

"Hang on boys, we are in for a rough ride!" Moe called back to them as the boat dipped down a rather large wave.

Homer turned back to Roger, the look of gratefulness in his eyes. "Well I probably would have lost him any way."

"You're welcome," Roger said as he grabbed a nearby seat and began to strap himself in, hopefully they could get out of there alive.

But Roger was not fast enough and before he could snap the belt on him, a rogue wave came up out of nowhere and knocked him out of his seat. It brought enough force to bring both Homer and Barney down with it, it wasn't long before all three were sliding on the deck of the boat and into the bow before the wave disappeared.

Homer sat against the bow, sputtering and trying to shake the water out of his ears and hair. Not that it did much good, the rain continued to hammer them as they tried to stand up and make their way back to the safety of the captains quarters. They knew that would be the safest place, away from the waves and lightning.

"Boys, be careful, take it easy and hang on if we hit another wave!" Moe called from the wheel well.

None of them said anything, they knew what they had to do, like Moe said, they had to be careful and hope they would not get swept away. But their hope quickly faded when another wave hit, sending them flying against the wall of the boat. Homer felt himself fly into the air and land heavily on his side and it wasn't long before he felt a sharp pain hit him on his upper arm. Once he got his bearings, he looked it over and discovered he had hit a piece of metal that held the fishing poles. Blood was now flowing freely from the wound but he had no time to worry about it before Barney yelled out.

"Homer help!" he cried.

Homer looked up and saw Barney all the way at the back of the boat. Roger was lying beside him, motionless. The wave must have hit him so hard that he ran into something and hit his head. As quickly as he could, Homer got up and made his way to his friends side. There was a large gash on the side of his head and that was what probably knocked him out cold.

"We need to move him!" Homer cried, knowing that it was important to get him to a safe spot before any more damage could be done.

For a moment the boys slowly positioned themselves so that both could carry their friend to safety. But in the process, another large wave hit the side of the boat, sending all three of them into the side of the boat where both Barney and Homer lay there stunned for a few minutes as they tried to shake it off.

"I got to admit Homer, this is pretty scary," Barney said as he hoisted himself up.

"I know but we can do this, Moe can bring us back safely," Homer said as he tried to lift himself up only to get pummeled by an even bigger wave than the last one.

Homer quickly shook it off before turning to Roger to help move him out of the way. But he was not where he had last seen him. Homer gasped in shock and looked around the boat for any signs of Roger, but he was gone. Where did he go?

"Homer look!" Barney called out as he pointed at something in the water.

Homer looked to where Barney was pointing and saw Roger being taken away by the sea, Homer knew that sooner or later, he would sink, he had to save his friend. Remembering the rope they used to tie off at the dock, Homer grabbed the nearest one and tied it around his waist as tightly as he could.

"Hang on to me Barney, as soon as I get a hold of him you pull me in," Homer cried before he jumped in without a second thought.

Barney hung on the best he could, even though the waves kept coming at him, he still held fast, making sure he did not lose his two friends to a horrible hurricane. He turned to where Moe was driving the boat, he seemed to have stopped moving and was watching and waiting for Homer to rescue Roger. He then turned back and saw Homer making his way toward Roger who he could no longer see, but knew that Homer somehow had an eye on him and was ready to get him soon.

The next instant though caused Barney to panic. One minute, he saw Homer bobbing against the waves for a few seconds and then suddenly disappearing underwater. Barney began to wonder if he needed to pull his friend back in before he drowned. But the rope was not showing any signs of a fight on the other end, Homer had to know what he was doing. He waited ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds, and just when he was about to pull Homer back up, Homer appeared again, and he had Roger with him.

With as much strength as he could muster, Barney pulled Homer in from the dangerous waters, often getting clobbered by strong waves that nearly knocked him into the water himself. But he kept fighting until Homer finally reached the bow. He did not get in right away, instead he passed Roger over to Barney who quickly dragged his friend over to where Moe was driving while Homer helped himself out of the boat, which wasn't difficult seeing as how the way the boat moved up and down, he could easily get in.

After a few moments of negotiating his way to his friends, Homer finally collapsed beside Roger who still remained motionless. For a few moments, he lay there, letting his lungs calm down from all the work he did before finally saying anything.

"We got lucky," Homer said.

"Yeah but we still gotta get out of this storm and I can tell we have a long way to go," Moe said as he kept his eyes on the horizon.

"Just be careful, we need to get Roger back without any more damage on him," Homer said as he tried to assess his friends injuries.

"I will do my best, all we can do is hope and pray," Moe said.

Homer let out a sigh and looked up at Barney, both knew that Moe was an experienced boater, and both knew that he could get them back. When he could was the biggest question, they were already in the heart of the storm and they knew they could not get more drenched than this. Hopefully though the boat would keep going and that they would reach land safe and sound. Moe remained brave and steadied his course, not caring where he landed, just as long as they lived through it.

* * *

A/N: Please stay on the line, and while doing so please leave a review because those are very important to me. You're reviews keep me going, without them this story will disappear into nothing and you don't want that now would you?


	23. Check on the Boys

A/N: Yeah it's me again. A little doubtful about being here really. Haven't talked to many people in the past few months, I guess that's what happens when you give up on things. No one wants to talk to you about anything, and you're just left alone to decide your fate. But it was already starting out that way, two disappeared, one a very good friend. Another good friend stopped reading and I couldn't ask for help from her because she had no idea what was going on with the story and I did not want to give away any of the plot, and I hoped she would continue reading. But she wouldn't, and I kind of lost her friendship after arguing with her one too many times. Of course she did leave me when I needed her the most too, to just have a friend to talk to and what not, but of course I probably instigated that after I kept getting distracted and ignored her a few times. Those two friends though helped me out the most, and when they stopped reading, I felt that my stories just weren't good enough anymore and to spite them I quit. I will not name names, for the sake of them. But you got to know when to cut your loses and tell yourself that you are doing what you love, who cares if someone stops reading, it's their loss.

Truthfully, I sort of regret giving up on this story, sure I ramble on in the chapters, they're long I admit, but that's what makes a story great! It takes time sure, but sometimes you got to bring out what is in there, or it won't sound as good as you thought. So please, don't give up because it's taking forever to read, just pretend it's a story you're reading in your kindle or ipod or whatever. These chapters probably have the same length as any of those stories you read. So yeah, you reviewers are like good friends to me, I get excited seeing what Samurai has to say about this, or how honeygoddess thinks this should happen. Yeah sure you guys are little off, but hey, I get a good reaction afterward. So I've decided to try again, see if I can bring you all back into the story. I want to amaze you, I want to surprise you, and most of all, I want you to enjoy it. I do my best, and when you feel that your best is in jeopardy, you just don't know what to do anymore. You feel lost in a sea of words, with characters abandoning you left and right. So please if you want this story to end, stick around and inspire me. I hope that I can also inspire you. Or you can also hate me, I don't care which.

* * *

Jenna had just returned from her business writing class, her shoes soaked from running from her car to the door of her apartment in only a few short minutes. Even though the hurricane was far to the south of Florida, Tampa was still getting hit pretty hard. She knew though that it was not as bad as what was going on down in Miami or even the Keys. Hopefully the guys were fine, they did well preparing for a tropical storm a few years ago, perhaps they were smart enough to head up to Miami away from the islands for a bit. Her brother probably had no idea about the hurricane, he was back on the road again, last she heard, he was somewhere in Kentucky.

She knew finding out any information about what was going on in south Florida was restricted at best, phones were probably down, and electricity probably wasn't doing good either. She would have to wait until later to find out how things were going, besides she needed to get some homework done, and that was going to take a few hours.

The phone rang a little after seven-thirty the next day, Jenna was still sound asleep after staying up until just before two to finish her school work. Of course she tried to ignore the call and continued to sleep once it stopped ringing. Usually it was a friend who wanted to go do something, or even a classmate who wanted to know if they missed any assignments. She could tell them if she wasn't so tired after last night.

She started to drift off again, thinking about happy things and the dream she had before the phone rang, perhaps it would finish once she fell back asleep. She had hoped so, until the phone rang again. Jenna sat up and stared at the phone from across the room for a moment until it finally stopped again. Hopefully that was the last time. She fell back on her pillow and tried to drift off, that is until a loud ring interrupted her again.

Jenna decided to investigate and slowly got out of bed and toward the phone. "Hello?" she replied in a drowsy voice, hoping that they would get the message that she was still sleeping.

"Jenna?" a familiar voice called on the other end of the line. It was Mick, and he sounded concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine, the hurricane stayed to the south if that is what you are worried about," Jenna replied as she stretched.

"I knew that," Mick said.

"Oh good, then why did you call?" Jenna asked.

"The hurricane is done with for south Florida, but I've been watching the news, looks like there's a lot of downed power line's and trees, I'm a little concerned about Homer and the boys," Mick replied. Jenna let out a soft groan when Mick mentioned Homer.

"You are? Well I think they can handle themselves," Jenna replied.

"I know they can, and I've tried to reach them to confirm that, but the phones are dead down there," Mick said.

"They should be up and running in a few hours," Jenna said trying her best to remain calm but also wishing that the phone had a way to strangle her brother over a little matter like this. She knew they were fine, and she wanted to get some more sleep in before her one o'clock class.

"Not after this storm Jenna, listen, I know you probably have classes and you are busy but I need you to find out if they are okay," Mick replied.

"Don't you have a private plane that you can do that in?" Jenna asked.

There was a quiet silence on the other end of the line for a long time, and Jenna almost had to call Mick's name again when he finally responded rather annoyed by her last comment."...I have a tour bus, it does not travel at light speed."

"You seriously want me to go all the way down there?" Jenna asked.

"Yes please, for my sake, I won't ask for anything again I promise," Mick said as he tried to sound like a six year old.

Jenna let out an annoyed sigh. Her brother was known to do this often, and even though he usually said he would never ask for anything again, he would still do so another time. She could say no to him, but a dangerous storm had just passed through the keys and it would be days, maybe a week or two before everything was restored. She knew her brother could not wait that long, he was close to Moe, best friends for many years now. He needed to know if he was okay. And sure Jenna was a little worried about Homer, but she really was not in the mood of seeing him again. Not at the moment any way.

"Okay, I will go down there and let you know as soon as I can okay?" Jenna asked.

"Thank you Jenna, you are a wonderful sister," Mick said.

"Don't mention it," Jenna said with a huff before hanging up the phone on him and making her way back to bed. Even though she had a half day drive, she was still gonna get some extra shut eye.

It was six in the afternoon by the time Jenna reached her destination. The drive went very smoothly until she reached Miami, once she got further south, the roads got a little bumpy and there were downed branches and a few trees on the road. Nothing too big there, until she got to Key Largo where the road had a few spots where water was covering it. But she made her way as carefully as she could down there and finally reached her destination like many others who were ready to return and see if their house was still there.

Jenna was not really thrilled about being there, in fact she knew that running into Homer was inevitable and she was less than thrilled about that. Hopefully he would not bother her too much and that it would be a very quick trip. She wasn't going home right away after checking up on them, she did enough driving for one day. She would spend the night at a nearby hotel and then leave as soon as she felt fit the next day.

It wasn't long before she found herself parked in a familiar driveway that led to a very familiar house that she often found herself on warm summer evenings. In fact, the atmosphere and the way the sun hit the house just right, reminded her of happier times and for a moment, nostalgia kicked in. Until she was reminded that was why she was not here thanks to a few palm fronds that had taken up residence in the front yard.

There was only one car in the driveway, and that was Roger's, Moe's was gone, he was probably reopening the bar or something. Hopefully Roger, Barney, or Homer was home and hopefully Roger or Barney would be the one to open the door. She rang the doorbell and waited for a good minute. But no one responded. She took a peek through the window next to the door and noticed how quiet it looked inside. She also noticed that there seemed to be a hole in the roof. Light was shining down and there was a big puddle next to one of the La-Z-Boy chairs. Did the boys drive back north to safety? Roger would have probably brought his car too. If that was the case, then they would be okay, but knowing Mick, that wasn't enough, he probably wanted physical evidence and she still had not checked Moe's bar.

Quickly she got back into the car, and made her way over to the local hangout, hoping she would find someone there who knew what was happening. As luck would have it, Moe was there, standing out by the parking lot with two other unfamiliar men. Jenna parked nearby and made her way over to him to see what was going on.

"And you said you haven't insured this place since seventy-six?" one of the men asked.

"Yeah, I fell behind unfortunately," Moe replied nervously while both the men wrote on a piece of paper. He did not even notice Jenna as she walked toward him.

Jenna could tell though that this was an important business deal and stayed out of the way as she turned to the bar. What she saw was not good. One corner of the bar, the one facing the water, had fallen down thanks to one of the palm trees that could not handle the wind any more. And thanks to the fact that the bar had no windows and was open air, the entire place was nearly flooded and simply a mess. Jenna could not believe what she was seeing and wondered if everyone else was okay. Moe was the only one there, so where were Barney, Roger and Homer. She really didn't want to admit it to herself, but she was now very concerned about Homer, was he okay? Hopefully something terrible didn't happen to him. She turned back toward Moe who was shaking hands with the two men who walked away, his head hung low like he was exhausted. Jenna knew she had to find out what happened and ran toward him.

"Moe?" She called.

"Jenna? You came all the way down here?" Moe asked.

"I know, it's thanks to my brother, he wanted me to make sure all of you were okay," Jenna replied.

"Yeah, we're fine, I got a few cuts and bruises but nothing serious. Rogah got the worst of it, he actually woke up only a few hours ago after getting a really bad concussion and some nice stitches on his head. Along with a broken leg and sprained wrist. Homah got a nice gash on his shoulder and needed ten stitches, Barney is the same as me, tough guy." Moe replied before turning back over to the bar and letting out a heavy sigh. "The bar though."

"Can you fix it?" asked Jenna.

"Well have you gone by the house?" Jenna nodded. "Well that's more important to fix up, you probably only saw the living room, but the boys room is just totally trashed and the screen room is non existent. In case you are wondering the cat is fine, he is with an old friend. So seeing as how the house is more important to fix, that's gonna cost some because of its location and the age of the building. As for the bar, well I'm afraid it might be a total loss."

"But your business," Jenna said worriedly.

"It's probably done for here, this land was my uncles but it was much larger before I turned it into this, the countless storms keep bringing the beach further in. It was only a matter of time, and I ignored it," Moe replied.

"Where will you work now?" Jenna asked.

Moe let out a sigh and continued to stare at his broken bar for the longest time, Jenna was afraid he would start crying at any moment, but he remained strong. Finally he began to walk away. "Just come with me to the hospital, I need to talk to the guys about this."

Jenna followed Moe to the hospital, she really didn't want to, but in truth, she needed to know what was going to happen to Moe and the guys. Where would they all go? Could it be possible to tear down the bar now and move it further up where the parking lot was? But where would a new parking lot be? This was going to be a tough decision for all of them.

Quietly she followed Moe to the hospital room where Roger was staying at for at least a day or two to make sure the concussion was nothing serious, she wasn't surprised either when she saw his newest girlfriend Clara hanging out in the room with them making sure her boyfriend was going to be alright. Barney and Homer were both sitting by the window, Homer's arm wrapped in bandages and looking a bit disheveled from all the goings on. He probably hadn't showered in a few days either. He saw Jenna, but he did not jump up, knowing that he was still split from her, he only smiled sheepishly.

"Did all this happen at the house?" Jenna asked.

"No, it was a stupid bet I had with Patrick, we went fishing before the storm, but Homah here got into a fight with Barracuda, lost of course, so the storm beat us home. Took us forever to do so too, I'm still amazed my boat did not sink," Moe replied.

"Did Patrick make it out?" Jenna asked.

"Oh yeah, he's fine, his boat though wasn't secured properly enough, last I saw of it, it was lying on it's side on a nearby beach, a nice big hole in the bow," Moe said with a smirk.

"I think he deserved it too," Roger grumbled.

"Definitely, he's too damn cocky," Homer replied while Barney nodded.

"But that's behind us now, we got a bigger problem here," Moe replied.

"Oh yeah, how did the talk with the insurance brokers go?" asked Homer.

"Not good I'm afraid, since I haven't insured the bar in a while, it's gonna be hard to get it fixed. What's worse is that thanks to the storm, the beach moved up and now part of the bar is in the water and that part is history, it could fall down even more within a week or two if nothing is done about it. But that's gonna cost us, and if the beach keeps moving up then the bar is gonna sink further and further into the water."

"Could we move it?" asked Barney.

"We could, but the expenses on that will be very high and I really can't afford that, especially if the house needs to be fixed too. And I don't even think I have more room to move it, I do need parking spaces too," Moe said.

"Then what are we gonna do? We all gotta work to keep the place going," Homer said.

"I know, I know! I never wanted this to happen, I became foolish and forgot how important it was to keep this place in check during a storm," Moe said as he began to pace back and forth nervously, something no one had seen him do in a while.

"What happens if we can't fix this? Do you at least have a plan B?" Homer asked.

"The only other option is to go back to Springfield, I might have enough to find a place to do business there. Renting a location is cheaper than here I can assure you," Moe replied.

"Will we be able to work for you?" Homer asked.

"Depends on business," Moe said.

Homer let out a sigh, sure Moe had a plan B, but it only really suited him and not Homer, Barney or Roger. The three could be out of a job now and it was all thanks to Moe and his way of handling things.

"Well if you go back to Springfield, I'm staying here, I got Clara here to be with and besides, who will watch over your house?" Roger asked.

"Hmmm...good point there Rogah, I could pay you to watch it and make sure it gets fixed up," Moe said.

"He gets brain damage and we can't even think of an idea like that," Barney said quietly to Homer.

"We could always just go to college," Homer said while also looking at Jenna nervously.

"That cost's money Homer," Barney replied.

"Oh yeah," Homer said.

"We do have family there, family we haven't seen in a while, they could take care of us until we find a job," Barney said.

Homer let out a sigh and scratched the back of his head thanks to the salt in the water that he had been unable to wash out for the past couple of days. This was not going to be easy for any of them, they had enjoyed their life down here in Key West. Soaking up the sun, falling in love and creating memories. Now all those things would be a thing of the past, the best life they ever had was now gone thanks to one hurricane. What was worse was that Homer knew he would come crawling back to his father, the same father who still treated him like dirt and wasn't surprised when Homer told him that Jenna broke up with him. This was not going to be fun.

"Well boys, time to cut our losses and head back to Springfield, I don't expect much of a hero's welcome but it's all we have left," Moe said.

"At least try to keep in touch okay guys, I will miss you all, even you Homer. I still care about you, but sometimes we have to move on. You'll find someone, don't worry," Jenna said as she moved around the room and gave everyone a hug, even Homer.

"I did, but I screwed up," Homer replied not looking into Jenna's eyes but only at the ground below.

Jenna only sighed, she did not want to get into this, it was bad enough coming down here, she had a schedule to keep and there was no time to bring love back into the picture. She had classes to worry about, books to read and papers to write. She was ready to succeed, but if her boyfriend hadn't figured out what to do by now, well, she didn't want to be stuck with that problem unless he was willing to fix that. He didn't seem like he was yet and seeing he still didn't have enough for college. That was going to take a little longer.

"Well good luck and be safe. I need to head back north, with any luck I could reach Miami by ten tonight and spend the night there," Jenna said as she made her way out of the door.

Homer watched her go for a minute, but that was all he could take before he jumped up and ran out the door hoping to catch up to her. Of course she hadn't gone far when she heard heavy footsteps walking out of the hospital room. She stopped but did not turn around.

"Homer, it won't work," she said with her back to him.

"Not even a second chance huh?" Homer asked as he made his way toward her and put his hand on her shoulder, she immediately pushed it aside.

"You have no job now, no real place to live, I can't take care of you," Jenna said.

"But if you did, I would do it in return for you when things get better for me," Homer replied.

"Oh and when will that be? I bet you still have no idea what you want to do with your life next do you?" Jenna asked angrily.

"I could take core credits at the college with you, and I can decide from there," Homer said as he twiddled his fingers.

Jenna stared back at Homer, he sure was trying hard, but she really did not want the stress right now. She cared about him, but not enough to start the relationship back up. He had never really grown up and he needed to move on and hopefully get something out of this experience. Maybe they would one day meet again, maybe not. Maybe Homer would find someone better, maybe not. But right now she did not want to fight his battles with him, not when she no longer felt the love she once had with him.

"Sorry Homer, but no," Jenna replied before walking away.

Homer stood there and watched her go, unable to say anything else while tears rolled down his face. He had no idea if he would ever see or talk to her again. Hopefully she would come back to him one day and they would be happy again. For now he could only watch her disappear out of his life for good while he hoped that the change he was about to face would work out for him.

* * *

A/N: Yeah the ending probably wasn't as good as I had planned but there you go, a brand new chapter for you all. Hopefully I can update more frequently, hopefully any way. I have no idea how often I will get stuck. At least for the moment though, just know I am probably not updating every week. But I will do my best.

Also I noticed something interesting while thinking about the many readers and reviewers on here. Two people disappeared around the same time in September, CalculatedChaos and The Simpsons Fan. Were they the same person? I'm really starting to wonder because we haven't seen The Simpsons Fan in ages and he didn't say anything when I quit last time. So hmmmmm "rubs chin." perhaps Chaos lead a double life. I don't know, but it is a little odd. If you are reading this The Simpsons Fan, please prove me wrong.

If you reviewed this chapter last time, I know that fanfiction does not let you review the same chapter again if you are signed on. If that is the case feel free to review like you are an anonymous person, but with your screen name just so I know who you are and stuff. Any way I'll update again soon, I think I might have about fifteen more chapters to go. I also created a twitter account so you all can follow my random tweets. The link to my account will be in my profile. Any way see you all soon.


	24. Back in Springfield

Homer stood at the end of the driveway of his fathers old house. It was a place he had not been back to in almost five years, if he had the ability he wouldn't ever want to come back. But circumstances beyond his control told him otherwise. His own father did not even care if he didn't visit him for Christmas, so Homer took his word and spent Christmas with Jenna at her parents house. That was never going to happen again.

He let out a sigh, a new change was in his life now, and he hoped it would end positively one day, at the moment though, it didn't seem that way but then again life was full of surprises. Finally after staring at the dilapidated old house for a good five minutes, Homer made his way to the front door and knocked on it. It wasn't long before he heard shuffling from the living room where his father was most likely watching some kind of game. Homer already warned his father that he was coming back. Abe didn't sound too happy about it, but he knew his son needed a place to stay for a little while until he found a new job and a place of his own.

The door finally opened and there stood Abe in a wife beater shirt and sweatpants holding a duff beer. His hair was starting to recede more and it was grayer. Homer was of course expecting his father to be holding a beer when he opened the door, but the gray hair? It had been a while he guessed.

"Finally made it eh?" Abe asked as he stared at Homer's two giant suitcases, the only things that were left of his life in Key West. Mostly t shirts and shorts, the shorts though would probably not be worn as much, it was time to start wearing jeans again.

"Yeah," Homer replied.

"I trust you will start job hunting tomorrow?" asked Abe.

"Of course Dad, but first I need to lug these suitcases upstairs and get settled if you don't mind," Homer said as he grunted and pulled his suitcases into the house, Abe only watching and showing no sign of helping.

"Suit yourself, but when six months arrive, you are out of here even if you don't have a job," Abe said as he made his way back to his chair, the very same chair he sat in before Homer left. This time it were holes in it and the color was fading, but that didn't seem to bother Abe.

Homer grunted in annoyance before picking up one of his suitcases and brought it upstairs to his room, he would grab the other one in a moment, he knew he would never make it to the top with both without falling over from exhaustion. When he finally reached his room, he found that it was in the exact way he had left it. His chest of drawers still where he left it, his comforter on his bed still the same, and a Led Zeppelin poster he left behind still there. It made him wonder if his father had ever even bothered to enter his room, his chest was covered in dust and when he put his suitcase on the bed, dust flew every which way making him cough for quite a while before finally catching his breath.

He could barely stand being in there and made his way downstairs to grab his other suitcase. And once he finally got that one in, he ran downstairs to find the vacuum. Unfortunately it was not under the stairs like he remembered it being.

"Dad, where's the vacuum?" Homer asked.

"Oh I gave it to Jasper a couple of months ago, been meaning to get a new one," Abe replied as he took a swig of beer.

"And did you ever dust my room while I was gone?" Homer asked.

"Eh once or twice," Abe replied with a shrug.

Homer rolled his eyes and went into the kitchen to grab a duster and some polish. Luckily his father was smart enough not to give that away, and without a second thought, Homer was cleaning his room in hopes of bringing it back to its original shine. Two hours later, he was only half done, and exhausted. So far he had dusted off his chest of drawers, changed his bed sheets and cleaned out one of his suitcases. He was now lying on his bed waiting for his bed sheets to finish in the dryer before even thinking about getting any sleep. He knew he was done for the day and that he would have to finish everything else tomorrow.

It was after a few minutes of lying on his bed that he decided to see if maybe his father was in the mood for some company, so he made his way downstairs and took a seat in the old couch he used to find himself sitting on. For a few moments, he watched an old Andy Griffith show with his father until a commercial came on distracting Abe for a few minutes.

"Still cleaning up up there?" Abe asked.

"Nah, I'm done for the day, I'll finish tomorrow," Homer replied with a tired sigh.

"That's good," Abe replied as he took a drink of his beer.

Homer stared at his father for a moment, hoping to maybe get more than the few words that he recently said. But so far his father wasn't interested in the fact that his son, who he had not seen in almost five years, was back home again. Truthfully he actually enjoyed living alone without anyone, never had to worry about making dinner or giving his kid advice. Homer was old enough now to take care of himself any way, he didn't need his father, that was why he was going to kick him out in six months. Hell he could do it tomorrow if he wanted to, but maybe some good would come out of it.

"So you don't want to hear any stories from me?" Homer asked, hoping to do some bonding with his father.

"Well from what you told me in the past, it was basically fishing, giving fishermen beer and breaking a girls heart, so no not really," Abe replied as he scratched himself.

Homer sighed, what a great homecoming this turned out to be. For the first time in a very long time, he felt very much alone and wished with all his heart that Jenna was there for him to help him through this. But of course he messed it all up, he was going to have to solve this problem on his own and hopefully something good would come up. At the moment though it did not feel that way. His father showing no excitement after not seeing him for almost five years, no job waiting for him, and a future he was unsure of. He stared at the television screen, Abe was watching some show about a police detective that required you to pay attention, but Homer just couldn't, too many thoughts were brimming in his head. Finally he made his way to his room, and shut the door behind him. After a few minutes of thinking things over, he lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling wondering what the next day would bring.

* * *

Over the years, Homer had gotten used to getting up early for fishing. So of course once the light hit his bedroom the next morning, he was awake. For about an hour he tried to position himself to sleep longer, he had nowhere to go at the moment, save for job hunting and most stores were not even open yet. Finally, he gave up trying to sleep. Not only that but he could smell his fathers coffee brewing downstairs, hopefully there was enough for him as well. Quietly he went downstairs and entered the kitchen where his father was busy cooking up bacon, toast, and grits. It look delicious and Homer could not help but drool at what he was seeing.

"Mornin' son, you're up earlier than I expected," Abe said as he flipped over a slice of bacon.

"I know, just used to being up early for fishing, I guess I'm gonna have to adjust to that now," Homer replied as he looked over at the coffee pot. There was still plenty of coffee leftover so he grabbed a cup and helped himself.

"You never know, you could get a night job," Abe said.

"Yeah maybe, but we'll see. I will do my best though to get out of your hair," Homer replied.

"Don't have to worry about that, I don't have much any way," Abe replied as he pointed to his graying head.

Homer could not help but chuckle a little before taking his first sip of coffee, which he then swallowed with a sour face. Moe definitely made better coffee than his father. Luckily Abe did not notice, Homer quickly put the coffee down and opened the refrigerator door and went for the orange juice instead.

They ate in silence, Abe never asking for any details on his life down on the southernmost point of the United States. Homer found this a bit disheartening and was almost about ready to get up and take a shower when the phone rang. Naturally Abe answered it but quickly turned it over to Homer. It was Barney, apparently he was up early and ready for a new day as well.

"Moe will be searching for a place to have a new bar, I was thinking of job searching around town and was wondering if you would like to join me? Moe also told me to keep my eyes open for any potential places to do a bar," Barney said.

"Sure I'll come with you, maybe we can work together again," Homer replied, a little excited that his best friend was ready to look for a new job a day after they returned to Springfield.

"You want me to pick you up then?" Barney asked.

"Yeah sure, I don't think my dad will appreciate me using his car any way," Homer replied as he stared at Abe who gave his son an angry frown for even thinking about borrowing his car.

"Okay I'll pick you up in a little while," Barney said.

And so the two best friends spent their day roaming around Springfield searching for jobs that they could easily get. When they were lucky enough to find a place hiring, they would take the applications and put them in a folder for later. So far took applications from the nearby grocery stores, a movie theatre, a few fast food joints, the library, and even a few construction places. By the end of the day, they had a nice collection of applications, but after driving around all day, both were about ready to just fall over and sleep. Which they of course did, they could write the applications in the morning.

When morning arrived though, Homer and Barney were both awakened by Moe who wanted them to come see a place that he had found that he believed would make a good bar. Together Homer and Barney drove to the location that Moe specified. Their first reaction to the area was that it was a little run down. Most of the buildings were unoccupied and the stores that were open were shops that probably would not last long unless they had good business. That was definitely something both Barney and Homer worried about with Moe, he needed good business to stay in what he liked, so this new place would either do well or do horribly.

Looking at the shops nearby, they noticed that there was a glass store, and antique store and even an air conditioning store appropriately titled It Blows. Of course both of them could not help but laugh at the store that was next to where Moe wanted his bar. A store that sold musical instruments and made it sound friendly and fun, King Toots.

There was a side area where Barney could park the car next to the building Moe was thinking about buying. Moe was already by the front door, talking to two businessmen about selling the property to him. One was a fairly tall guy with clean cut hair and had a very calm looking attitude. The other man was a little shorter and more husky. He was writing things things down as Moe and the other man discussed what was going on. They looked friendly and Moe seemed really happy about what was about to happen, but of course they had to see the place for themselves. When Moe saw Barney and Homer walk up, he instantly waved and invited his two friends over.

"Oh here are my two buddies I told you about, Aaron, Don, I would like you to meet Homer and Barney," Moe said once Homer and Barney got close and quickly shook each others hands.

"Nice to meet you boys, now I know Moe here is going to be the one running the place but he was insistent that you two help him out. I have already warned Moe that this is going to be much smaller than what he is used to," Aaron said.

"Yeah but it might be better that way seeing as how running such a large business in the Keys brought on a few challenges," Moe replied.

"Very true, and perhaps you will do better than the last business here. It was a restaurant but...well...we really don't need to get into that, do we Don," Aaron replied as she nudged his short companion.

"No definitely not," Don said, never taking his eyes off his piece of parchment.

"Was it bad?" Moe asked.

"Was it bad? Was it bad? Let me put it to you this way, if the mafia ever returns near here, you are to respect them, casting them out is not an option," Aaron replied.

Homer and Barney both looked at each other nervously. They knew that Moe needed to do what he loved most. It was his passion and the only thing that really made him happy, but was he willing to work in a place where the mafia was known to visit?

"We can give you a nice rent price for the first three months, just in case it doesn't work out," Don said.

"That might work, but let's look at the inside of this place first. I want to be sure I like it before saying yes," Moe said. Both Aaron and Don nodded and took out the key to open the door to the old restaurant.

According to Aaron and Don, the place had not been occupied for nearly two years and it really showed. Cobwebs and dust hung from every solid surface and ever nook and cranny the boys could see. There was a faint smell of mold in the air and in one spot near where the restrooms there, there was a small puddle of some sort of liquid just sitting there, a ring of unknown substance surrounding it. It really looked like a dive and both Homer and Barney were very unsure of what to make of the place.

Moe on the other hand, didn't seem to take much notice of their nervousness but stared at the place with fascination. He stared long and hard at where the tables and chairs were, and imagined them cleaner and more inviting to people who wanted to come in for a good drink. There was a bar there in slight disarray because of lack of use, but he could fix it all up in a jiffy, it wouldn't be too hard for him. Barney and Homer noticed the smile that was creeping up on Moe's face, and both knew what that meant. He liked what he found and hopefully it would work out for him in the long run.

"I'll take it!" Moe finally said after many long minutes of thinking things over.

"Wonderful! We will fill out a lease for you and once you have that signed you can start working on it as early as next week," Aaron said with a big grin.

"Oh good, I have some nice plans for this place," Moe said with a smile as he looked up at an old lamp on the ceiling. "I could hang something much nicer up there."

"Are we part of this plan at all?" Homer asked.

"You can help me set up the place, but I really don't now how good business will be. I'm gonna have to start out small, with just myself, if that's alright," Moe replied with a little nervousness in his voice.

"Yeah I guess, we need to fill out all those applications any way, don't we Homer?" Barney asked.

"Oh yeah, I am so looking forward to that," Homer replied sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.

"You guys looking for a place to work too?" Don asked as he overheard the conversation.

"Yeah we used to go fishing for Moe here, and help with cooking, looks like we are on our own now," Barney said sadly.

"Well if you guys want a temporary job while looking for something better, I can get you one if you would like," Don replied.

"You will?" Homer asked.

"Sure, my brother owns his own janitorial service. They help clean schools around the area. I know cleaning probably isn't your thing, but it can be a start for the both of you," Don said.

Barney and Homer both looked at each other curiously. Janitorial work wasn't something they ever really wanted to do. Cleaning was not something they enjoyed, but did they really have a choice at the moment? After all, they needed to stay on their feet and not rely on their family for money. While doing that they could apply for other places and get something better in the long run.

"What's the pay?" Homer asked.

"A little above minimum wage," Don said.

Homer stared back at Barney again, both shrugged. Homer did admit that he needed to stay out of the house and away from his father at the moment and he would not have to feel lazy about not doing anything all day. Yeah this job would be good for now.

"I'll take it," Homer said a little reluctantly, but still with pride.

"Alright, I will inform my brother tonight," Don replied as he shook Homer's hand before turning to Barney. "And what about you?"

"...Well, I'll get back to you on that," Barney said as he nervously twiddled his thumb.

Barney was never the best at cleaning and it showed especially after a messy night working on the grill or after catching a very messy fish on the boat. More than one occasion, Homer had to clean up what he left behind including some very rotten looking fish guts that had been left out in the sun for far too long. Homer remembered how he smelled like a dead fish for a week, Jenna of course hated that and would not go near him for quite a while. So maybe Barney would find something else, he had parents that cared enough to help him right now, Homer didn't. Sure his father left him his bed and a roof over his head. But that was all he was going to offer him right now. No free food, no money, or anything else that would be essential. Yes, Homer definitely needed this.

"Well let me know, for now though, looks like my brother has a new employee and I bet he will be very happy to take you in," Don said as he walked out with Homer, Barney, Moe and Aaron.

"Tell him he will not regret it," Homer said with a smile.

And with that, everyone went their separate ways. Ready to take on new challenges and ready for a brand new and interesting future.

* * *

A/N: Ugh, have you ever wanted to fall asleep while writing a chapter? I think I did this several times, maybe even sleep typed. Probably explains why the last half is not as good as the first half. But meh, I did my best. So yeah Homer is now going to be a janitor, will he find a girl while doing this or just get high off of chemical fumes? Keep reading and you'll find out.

Also as you can see I changed the name of the story, why because it was too damn long. I really hated explaining to people about my story and what the title was so I shortened it, I think I made the right choice.

Well please review when you feel the need, and thank you all for the warm welcome back. I'm glad you all accepted me back.


	25. Homer the Janitor

Homer's mind was now racing. It had been a week since he agreed to take the janitor job and after really thinking it over the first night, he began to have second thoughts. There were other things out there much better than what he was getting himself into. The things he used to clean up on the boat were nothing compared to what he would have to clean up after in schools around the city. He thought about backing down a few times and not showing up for the first day of work. No one would really care, in fact, Don probably forgot to tell the other guy that Homer needed a job. But then again, he could always see what the first day was like. If he didn't like it, then he could say no and not come in ever again, that idea seemed better and he could at least get paid for one day.

The office was located in downtown Springfield, right next door to a really seedy looking parking garage and an even seedier bar. He wondered if he had to check in at the place every night or if he was lucky enough just to go about his business at whatever school he was supposed to clean up after. He knew he would find out sooner or later as he entered the office and found the place in complete chaos. Quite a few people were there, some standing in line, others waiting and filling out paperwork for something. Homer wondered if he needed to do that since all he turned in was the resume, and where was he supposed to go at this exact moment?

"Do you need something?" a very grumpy older woman asked as Homer tried to make his way forward.

"...Uh, I was sent here by Don...he said his brother could hire me for a janitor position," Homer replied nervously, not sure if he was even asking the right person.

"Oh yeah, school janitor eh, just go down that hall behind you and then make a left, his office is right in there," the lady said as she pointed with her pencil.

"Ah, well thank you," Homer replied as he made his way down the hall to a more quiet location. Things felt a little more calm now and he relaxed a little. He knew he was in the right place too when the sign on the door read: "Joe's janitorial service." Then without hesitation, he opened the door and went in.

The room reminded him of a dentist office, white walls, magazines in the waiting room, and a fish tank on one wall filled with lovely tropical fish and the decorations that went with them. A young lady at the front desk was busy reading a book when Homer walked in, she seemed to be so deep in the book that Homer had to cough to get her attention. The girl looked up startled yet slightly annoyed that Homer was here to make her do work.

"May I help you?" she said in a tone that made Homer back away a little.

For a moment, Homer just stared, too afraid to say anything really. She was fair haired and not as skinny as Marge or Jenna, but still looked fairly attractive. She had a few freckles on her cheeks and wore glasses that seemed to say "I like to read and I am only here for money." It made Homer wonder though if she was friendly at all, especially after the last sentence that came out of her mouth. But he did sort of startle her, so maybe once she calmed down a little, things would be different.

"Uh yeah..." Homer replied after a few moments of studying her. "I was told to come here for some janitorial work."

"Your name please?" the girl said as she took out a binder with a list of people looking for the job.

"Homer Simpson," Homer replied.

"Oh yes, Joe is expecting you, he is in the back handling some paperwork for you, I'll go get him," the lady said as she got up and walked to the back door. Homer watched her go and for a split second, he watched as she swayed back and forth toward her destination. Homer quickly shook it off. Maybe later.

Homer did not have to wait long, for the girl returned with Joe who was smiling at Homer the minute they made eye contact. Joe was a tall man, with short brown hair and a tough looking physique, probably from years of cleaning up in all the schools. Homer knew he could probably take out any guy in seconds so he decided it was best to not get on his bad side.

"Homer, it's very nice to meet you, I'm Joe and this lovely lady is Emily. Whenever you need to see me or need to pick up your paycheck, she will be here to greet you," Joe said with a smile as he held out his hand to shake.

Homer returned the gesture. "Thanks sir, so do I come here every day?"

"Nope just for your paycheck or if I need to talk to you. Hopefully you won't be seeing me here much. I only send you to my office if things get bad. But as long as you do your job, things will be fine and you can just consider me a friend," Joe said.

"Well I hope to be a good employee for you then," Homer said with a smile.

"Good, now let me get you your work clothes and you can follow me to the school you will be working at today," Joe said and lead Homer to the back room.

* * *

The uniforms were a typical janitor uniform. Gray and drab, perfect for cleaning up after people but a little itchy. As Homer followed Joe down the road to the first school for the day, he couldn't help but want to adjust his collar and scratch in some odd places, including under his armpits. Perhaps it was just the detergent they had been using and that he would grow out of it eventually. For now though, he was feeling very uncomfortable and was ready to get to work so he would not have to think about it.

Luckily the drive wasn't too long, today Joe brought him to Springfield East Elementary, the children were still in school but they would be leaving very shortly and the time to clean up after them was upon Homer. Joe led Homer through the main doors where they were greeted with a warm welcome by the office secretaries and the principal of the school.

"Good afternoon," Joe said happily when he entered the doors.

"Afternoon Joe, I see you have a new employee for this place?" the principal asked. He was a tall man, a little older than both Joe and Homer. He was graying a little and had a very militaristic way about him.

"Sure do Seymour, hopefully he will clean better than the last one we had," Joe said.

"Oh anyone can be better than that slovenly Bill, just thinking about him really disgusts me," Seymour said.

"Well you don't have to worry about him any more, Homer here took his place and he will do a bang up job," Joe said as he escorted Homer to a smaller room with cleaning supplies and a desk.

"Was Bill really that bad Joe?" Homer asked once they were away from everyone else.

"Well he rarely showed up to work, and got drunk in the fifth grade classroom more than there are desks, so yes he was," Joe said as he rummaged through some files.

"Oh," Homer said with surprise and looked around the office wondering what sort of supply he needed to use first for cleaning. "Will I always be working here?"

"Just on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays, you get to help at the community college down the street," Joe said.

"Sounds fair," Homer said as he stared at a jug of cleaning soap.

"Yup, now go ahead and pour that stuff into the bucket over here, since the kids won't be let out for another hour or so, you can go ahead and give the cafeteria and nice clean. I'll help you this one time since you're new and some things might be a little tricky the first time," Joe said.

Homer only shrugged, he had cleaned up Moe's bar while in Key West before, how hard could it be?

Of course Homer only had to clean up after drunks and adults, here it was rowdy children and their ways of handling food. He wasn't prepared for such a messy place until he entered, then he felt a little overwhelmed by all the food left on the table and walls. There was one spot where one kid seemed to like ketchup very much. He left several packets lying to what looked like a horrible crime scene. Only the creatures that were covered in "blood" were the crunchy remains of french fries. The kind that no one really wanted because they had no flavor left in them and were usually at the bottom of the bag. Then there was a mess of leftover spaghetti in one corner. It was on the table, on the walls, and on the chair, what the child looked like made Homer wonder and it also made him wonder if the kid even ate any of it and was only pretending to just the please his mother.

Besides those big messes, there were the usual crumbs and drink stains all over the floor and tables. Some food pieces were a little hard to pick up, but after some hard work and a little elbow grease, the cafeteria was sparkling again. It was one of the more harder jobs Homer had to face but he left that place feeling satisfied to have cleaned up after all those children. Of course he still had to handle the classrooms and bathroom, but according to Joe, the cafeteria was the worst.

Homer found this to be partly true, the older kids classrooms were very easy to clean after, all he had to do was vacuum, clean the boards, and wipe down the desks and that only took a few minutes. The younger kids were a bit messier, they of course dropped things like in the cafeteria or left a few messes on the desks. Even the bathroom wasn't so bad save for the one really bad clog that required Joe's assistance. That was something Homer was definitely not prepared for.

He was done later that evening, around eight thirty and ready to go home after those long hours of cleaning. He slept like a baby that night, and began to wonder, what tomorrow would bring when he had to go to the community college. Surely it would be much easier.

Working at the community college was definitely different than working in an elementary school. For one, Homer worked with several other janitors and each one had a specific task to deal with during the time they worked. Another big difference was the fact that some people were still in class when he came into work so he had to figure out which rooms were available to clean if the need arrived. So working in the community college was a little easier but not by much. He still enjoyed it though, it kept him busy and gave him money that he could use to get an apartment somewhere in the future.

* * *

It was on his second Tuesday of working at the Community college when he went to work cleaning up one of the many bathrooms the college had. He had to close it down so he could work and not be disturbed and this was especially important if he was cleaning the ladies room. He definitely did not want to embarrass himself or a lady who needed to use the place, so of course he had signs posted at the door saying that the area was closed for about an hour so he could clean up.

He was halfway through working and nearly finished on the third stall when he heard the door burst open. Homer jumped up with surprise unsure of how to tell the lady who had just burst in that they needed to find another restroom. But before he could even peek out and see what was going on, he heard her throw up near the door. Homer let out a heavy sigh, this place was not going to get cleaned any time soon. Hopefully the lady who had entered was okay and slowly he peeked out to see where she had left the mess she made.

"Everything okay out there?" Homer asked as he walked out slowly.

There was no answer, only heavy breathing before he heard her go through another round of heavy hurling. Homer turned the corner to see and discovered that luckily she was nice enough to use a trash can. For a moment, Homer stood there waiting for a response, making sure he did not need to help her and when she lifted her head, he was very surprised to see who it was. There was no way anyone could forget that blue hairdo.

"Yeah, I'm okay, sorry for bursting in, I couldn't hold it any longer," Marge said with a heavy sigh.

"It's alright, these things happen," Homer said as he handed Marge a towel to wipe her face with. Marge took it before returning it and hurling again in the trash.

"Can you put some cold water on that?" Marge asked once she was able to talk again.

"Yeah sure," Homer said as he ran over to the sink. As he did so, Marge noticed him for the first time and let out a startled gasp before hurling one last time.

"Homer! I thought you were in Key West!" Marge exclaimed as she wiped her face off with the towel.

"Uhh...yeah I was, until a hurricane changed things. Now I'm back in Springfield, working here until I find something else," Homer replied nervously, hoping that she wasn't thinking that he was a stalker. "What are you doing here? Do you go to school?"

"No I teach a few art classes, I just finished one before I came in here, I have no idea how I held it all while teaching. I can't even remember what I taught," Marge said as she leaned against the wall to steady herself. Even though she looked very sick and tired, she was still just as lovely as the day he first met her. Her hair was up and she was wearing a long black skirt with a white long sleeved shirt, she looked very professional and perfect for the job as art teacher. Though right now, she really should not be teaching in the condition she was in.

"Have you thought that maybe you should go home now, get some rest?" Homer asked.

"I have for the past week and now I am way behind on teaching, I'm actually going to the doctors here shortly. I can't keep anything down at the moment," Marge said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry to hear that, do you want me to help you get there or do you need anything to drink?" Homer asked. Homer tried his best not to sound like a crazy ex stalker and instead did his best to be a kind and helpful person on the street who showed concern for the poor woman who was feeling her worst.

"I wouldn't mind some ginger ale from the cafeteria," Marge said.

Homer thought about it for a minute, he was still new to the school and tried to remember where the cafeteria was. If he remembered correctly, it was on the other side of the building, a bit of a walk that would take a little while to get to and from where he wanted to go. He wondered if Marge could handle waiting a while.

"There is also a vending machine around the corner that sells soda," Marge replied.

"Oh yeah! And there's a bench out here too, go ahead and sit down and I will get you something to hydrate yourself," Homer said as he led Marge to the bench before heading over to the vending machine.

It wasn't long before he returned for Marge, who gulped it down fairly quickly before leaning her head against the wall and closed her eyes to let the drink settle. Homer stayed near her, making sure she was okay and if she needed another trash can.

"Thanks Homer, this really helps, I hope what I have is not serious. Several of my students did have the flu, but they didn't last this long," Marge said with a sigh.

"I hope it's not serious either, you look so miserable right now," Homer said.

"Yeah...and I better get going, don't want you to catch this, and my appointment is about an hour from now. Luckily the doctors is near here, so I don't have to go too far," Marge said.

"Oh good, just be careful driving either way," Homer said as he helped Marge up. Marge felt a little wobbly but she was able to get her bearings after a few seconds and began to make her way out of the school and to her car.

"Thank you Homer, and take care. Maybe we'll run into each other again, hopefully I won't be as sick," Marge said with a smile.

Homer only smiled and waved back as Marge walked out the door to her car. He hoped she would make it to the doctors office without any trouble and that hopefully they would help her out very quickly. He had never felt this concerned for her before and he hoped that he would see her again. Perhaps they could become friends now and that maybe, they could start over again and that Homer would be a better person about it.

* * *

A/N: Oh man, I had issues with this chapter, you could probably tell too. Very boring and stuff. But I liked how I ended it. And now Marge and Homer work in the same building, well two days a week any way. What will become of this? Well you'll have to keep reading to find out. I know it's boring and I am really sorry about it. Hopefully it will bounce up again for you all.

Please review when you can. Hope everyone has a nice week.


	26. A visit to the doctors

Artie Ziff sat alone in his office desk, reviewing his daily work and thinking of the changes he could do with the company. So far, he had given them some pretty good ideas, at least he thought so any way. But none of them were approved, and at the moment, he felt that things weren't working out for him. He especially hated how he had to use the outdated computers when newer versions were available. Sure it was nice to have the Apple brand, but he felt these old computers were too slow and were not as efficient. He knew he could do the work faster if the damn things moved faster.

Artie grumbled under his breath, he was really excited about working for this company but once he stayed around long enough, he realized how cheap and lazy his coworkers and supervisors were. He knew he would not be having these kinds of problems in Capitol City, but of course he came back to Springfield for Marge who needed to be with her family in case of a crisis. Of course she ended up getting a job that she loved and was happy about. That was always a plus. He knew he would have to stick it out for a while, perhaps he would find something better sooner or later. Hopefully soon then he would not feel so stressed and annoyed by how things were running.

The only good thing about today was the fact that he was getting ready to leave work early. He was going to meet Marge at the doctors. He knew it was nothing serious, but if that was the case, he would be there for her and help her decide what to do. These past few days were really upsetting to Artie, Marge looked exhausted even when she slept for twelve hours, and she could not keep food down, she admitted that she felt hungry even when she was feeling nauseated. Definitely a strange combination, but then again it could mean something that he was not quite expecting so soon.

Just the very idea of that was not something he was prepared for yet, maybe three years down the line, but now? Sure it was nice for it to happen, but would he be ready for such a big change? They had only been married for nearly a year, and he was still trying to work his way up with his job. But maybe it really was the flu, at least he hoped so. This kind of change was a very expensive change.

Artie let out a sigh and looked at the clock, still another fifteen minutes before he could leave. Today was really going by very slowly and that wasn't helping his mood. He continued to stare at what he was working on, wondering if he could improve in any way. He was so deep in thought that he nearly jumped out of his seat when someone knocked on the door.

"Oh, sorry Artie, didn't mean to startle you," the person at the door said.

Artie let out a heavy sigh and regained his balance before looking to see who it was. He was very surprised indeed.

"Olivia?" Artie exclaimed. Great, he thought he would never see her again, not after she was kicked out of the internship after another coworker called her out when she tried to seduce him like she had done to Artie.

"Hello Artie!" She said in a rather seductive tone.

"What are you doing here?" Artie asked as he tried to remain calm.

"Oh I was interning just upstairs these past few months, somehow being kicked out of the last internship didn't bother them, I guess they really needed me. They've liked me so much that they are planning on hiring me on this floor. Isn't that great Artie! We can see each other again." Olivia exclaimed happily as she jumped up and hugged Artie. Artie quickly pushed her out of the way.

"That's great to hear Olivia, but its probably not going to be as easy as it used to be. I'm married now," Artie replied.

"Oh..." Olivia replied. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I think it's great," Artie said as he tried to continue with his work.

"Not for me it's not," Olivia said as she sat on his desk revealing how short her skirt was as she sat cross legged hoping that Artie would keep his attention on her.

"Well I'm sorry you feel that way, now can you please go, I need to finish my work soon so I can leave early." Artie said as he tried to keep his eyes on his slow computer screen.

Olivia was not about to give up. For a moment, she watched Artie before letting out a sly smile as she slid off his desk and leaned against the corner of the desk as closely as she could to him. But Artie paid no attention to her and Olivia had to resort to becoming a cat. Stealthily she leaned forward in front of him, her long, skinny body on top of the keyboard that Artie was supposed to be using.

Artie stared back, shocked to see the same lovely lady who seduced him a few years earlier trying it again on him. Unfortunately it seemed to be working as she slowly moved forward and put her arms around his shoulder before rubbing her hand on his cheek.

"Remember that night, back in Capitol City, Marge didn't get out of class until later so we had all the time in the world," Olivia said seductively.

Artie let out a heavy and satisfied smile, how could he forget that night? "I do."

"I bet we can make it more grand tonight than we did before," Olivia said as she was now sitting on top of Artie and trying to take off his tie.

Artie let out a grin and could take it no longer. Before Olivia even realized it, she was pinned against the wall of Artie's office as both shared a loving embrace. Their lips met while Olivia clung to Artie hoping that he would take his pants off soon. She knew though they needed to find a better balance and before Artie could do anything else, they were back at the desk again, only this time they were on top of it pushing things around and knocking things over.

One item in particular got knocked over and caught Artie's attention. He let go of Olivia and stared down at the floor while Olivia, thinking that it was time to go even further, began to unbuckle him. But Artie wasn't paying attention, instead he stared down at the item that fell, a photo of Marge, days after the wedding. Standing on a beach in Florida, looking beautiful and so very happy. That's when he remembered that she was at the doctors waiting for him, hoping that she was okay and that nothing was wrong. He needed to stop and before Olivia could go even further, he pushed her off and rebuckled his belt. Olivia only stared back at him in surprise.

"Well, I think it's time we went our separate ways," Artie said as he tried to lead Olivia out the door.

Olivia slowly followed behind him trying to think of other ways to win Artie's affections. She had always liked Artie and never liked how he was with someone else. She wanted him to be hers and no one else's She didn't care if it would ruin a relationship, in her heart she believed that Artie was hers, not that stupid Marge and her giant blue hair. Definitely not, Artie deserved better, and she believed herself to be better.

Artie opened the door for Olivia to leave but to his annoyance she did not leave the room, instead she stood in front of the door trying her best to look sexy and wait for him to come after her again. Artie only stared back, trying to figure out how to get her to leave.

"Are you really ready to do that?" Olivia asked seductively.

"Do what?" asked Artie as he stared at her body.

"Go our separate ways?" Olivia said.

Artie stared back, he needed to leave now so he could be with Marge. Marge needed him, if he didn't show up Marge would worry and that would lead to trouble.

"Yes," Artie replied and pushed her out the door before closing it behind him. He locked it tightly so she would not try to enter again.

"Dammit Artie! We could have had something! You'll change your mind eventually, I know you will," Olivia cried out before stomping away in an angry huff.

Artie let out a sigh and returned to his desk where the picture of Marge sat. He stared at it for a good minute before setting it down with a heavy heart. "That was a close one, I don't know why I keep trying to give in to her. I know we can make it and that things will be okay."

Then without another word, he packed up his belongings and made his way out the door to his car and to the doctors office. Hoping that things would be alright as long as he and Marge were together. Hopefully he would not give into temptation again, and that things would work out for both of them.

* * *

Marge sat alone in the cold waiting room of the doctors office fighting the urge to open the door and run to the nearest restroom to throw up what would be nothing but bile and some cracker bits. She felt both hungry and sick at the same time and it was the worst feeling in the world for her. She felt so exhausted, like the weight of the world was on top of her, her hair was all tangled and matted and she just felt weak. If she could she would sleep right on top of the examining table, sanitary sheet and all. Who cared if it made the crinkle noise, she probably would not notice after a few minutes.

So far the doctors had taken a urine and blood sample from her, took her blood pressure, weighed her, and put pressure on her stomach, giving her the feeling of wanting to barf right on the floor. The doctor barely said anything, only asked how she felt, how long the sickness had been, and how sexually active she was. The last question sort of worried her. She and Artie, even though married, didn't have sex much. Both came home late and were just too tired to really do it. The last time they did it was at least three weeks ago and even then it didn't last very long. But what if that was enough? Both were not ready for that kind of commitment, they were too busy getting their life together. Maybe five years from now, but not now.

It wasn't long before she heard footsteps heading her way and she braced herself for the news. But when Doctor Reynolds opened the door, he stood there and motioned for her to follow him to his office. Slowly Marge, slid down the table and put on her shoes before making her way down the hall. As she did so, she wondered where Artie was. He said he would be here for her, but so far he had not shown up. Perhaps he got sidetracked at work. Either way she still needed him, just the way he held her in his arms was enough for her to feel comforted.

She didn't have to worry for very long though, once the doctor opened the door, she found Artie sitting in one of the desks staring back at her with a concerned smile. Marge smiled back and moved forward to hug him tightly. The Doctor Reynolds, watched them for a minute before clearing his throat to let them know he was ready to explain what was going on.

"So is everything okay?" Artie asked nervously.

"Everything is fine," Doctor Reynolds replied calmly.

"Then why do I feel so miserable," Marge asked with heavy sigh and stared at the garbage can next to the desk.

"Well according to my charts here, you are one month pregnant," Doctor Reynolds replied as he handed both Artie and Marge a piece of paper.

Artie took the paper and stared at it for a moment, Marge could not tell if he was happy or sad. She of course was unsure of what to think, bringing a baby into the world was no small task especially now when they were still warming up in life.

"And the chart's don't lie do they," Artie said with a sigh.

"Nope, they are very accurate, rarely wrong," Doctor Reynolds said.

"Look's like we might have to make a few changes," Marge said nervously.

Artie stared back at Marge, stared back at his pale, sickly looking wife. He could not be angry with her, he was surprised yes, definitely surprised. This was not planned but for some reason he felt some small joy growing inside him, telling him that he would become a father in eight months. It was so strange, so foreign, but somehow exciting, a father!

"Marge, I know it's too soon, but maybe this baby will help us become who we need to be," Artie said as he held her hand.

"...So you're not mad?" Marge asked.

"Mad? I'm not mad, I'm more surprised than anything. We did agree to not start a real family until at least five years down the road though," Artie replied.

"True, but we can't really change that now can we?" Marge said with a shrug.

"I know," Artie replied as he looked down at the floor.

Artie really had no idea what to think of this new situation. He really wasn't prepared for this, and he knew Marge wasn't either. In eight months he was going to be a father. A father? That was something he hadn't thought of being, not even in the future really, and it felt strange. Would they be able to take care of the child at all, sure they had enough money, but was he ready to be a father? He really had no idea, perhaps as time went on maybe.

"A baby is a big change, but you would be so surprised by how fast the time goes. I have two teenagers and it felt like only yesterday I was changing their diapers," Doctor Reynolds said.

"I bet it was a fun journey," Marge said.

"It was yes, but for now, it's just waiting for it to come and that feels like forever. But with each visit you will find more development and even learn the sex of the baby in only a few months," Doctor Reynolds said.

Marge stared back at Artie. He gave her a nervous grin, a kind of grin that made her wonder if this was setting him back on all his dreams now. But sometimes things get in the way, and all your hopes become delayed. Maybe his excitement would grow once everything came together. After all, it was a big surprise.

"This should be exciting, but I guess it really hasn't sunk in yet," Marge finally said.

"And that is normal for some, especially when it's not exactly planned. But I bet when you come back for a checkup, you'll both have names for the child and will want to see what it looks like in the ultrasound," Doctor Reynolds said.

"Yeah," Artie replied still staring at the ground. Doctor Reynolds dismissed it and smiled back at Marge.

"Do you have any questions?" Doctor Reynolds asked.

"Well, so far I have one. How long will I be feeling miserable like I am?" Marge asked.

"This is usually during the first trimester, so you won't be feeling yourself for about a month or two. But try to eat when you can, you need to keep yourself and the baby healthy," Doctor Reynolds replied.

"And when will we learn the sex?" Marge asked.

"Eighteen weeks," Doctor Reynolds replied.

The Doctor looked at both Artie and Marge for a moment, waiting for them to ask any more questions. Marge only shrugged and looked at Artie who just shook his head. No questions from him today, apparently he was still grasping the idea of having a child soon.

"Then that's all the time I really have for you two today, so go ahead and talk to the receptionist, she will give you another date where we can meet, and good luck," Doctor Reynolds said as he escorted them to the door.

Marge and Artie made their way down the hall, unsure of really what to say about all of this and not saying much. Marge made her next appointment, which was to be in another month and got a few tips from the receptionist about how to handle morning sickness before heading out to door with Artie. Both left in their own cars so both were left to ponder the situation as they drove home.

Marge tried her best to not feel too queasy as she made her way home. The past few nights of driving seemed to take forever as she wanted to lay down more than anything. But now that she knew why she felt so sick, she ignored her upset stomach and thought about the future it was bringing. She was a month pregnant, so far it was not noticeable, she looked just as skinny as she had been, she was surprised she could even gain any weight at the moment thanks to how sick she felt. She knew that the the first trimester would be the worst, so for now she just had to grin and bear it while thinking of more important things, like what to name the baby.

She really didn't care if it was a boy or a girl, what mattered most was that it would turn out healthy in the long run. But what would she name it? If it was a boy, maybe Larry or Marcus. Well maybe not Larry, that sounded too old to her, and Marcus well it just probably wouldn't fit and just seemed like an odd man out. Maybe Bartholomew, yeah it sounded humble and sweet. If it was a girl, well Marge always loved the name Lisa, especially after she had a friend growing up by that name. Such a sweet name for a sweet little girl. Marge let out a sigh, Lisa, if the baby was a girl, that would be her name. Hopefully Artie would agree.

Artie drove home with heavy thoughts in his mind. He somehow sensed that the night would end with a big change coming into their lives. He dreaded the idea of a baby, but knew it would happen eventually whether they liked it or not. But now there would be a big change in the family, there would be a little girl or boy to take care of in less than a year. It was such a strange thought, he could not believe this was happening. He just wanted to move up in the world. He wasn't ready for a child yet, but he had no choice, it was his fault for forgetting to use protection and for believing Marge that her chances of having a baby were slim. Now he had to make changes, his sleep routine would be ruined, his chances of spending time with the boss for promotions would be nonexistent because he would have to help care for the baby. What was worse was the constant crying, yes he already had those thoughts in his head. Those thoughts of what little AJ would do. AJ? Artie Junior? For some reason that name had a nice ring to it. He could imagine a little boy named AJ growing up to be just like him, smart, handsome, and sophisticated. He would grow to be a great technical guy like his dad. Yes AJ would be amazing and he would be proud of him.

Artie smiled as he pulled into the drive next to Marge and got out in a rather playful manner as he ran up and hugged Marge tightly.

"Well I see you're excited now," Marge said a little worried by Artie's sudden change in mood.

"I am, for I have one of the best names ever for our little guy," Artie said.

"Oh really?" asked Marge as Artie lead her into the house. "And what would that be?"

* * *

A/N: Yeah I'm gonna stop right there. I thought it would be an interesting place to stop for now. I can let you guys leave it up to your imagination about how that conversation went. As you can see, we are sort of now on Marge and Artie, and its probably gonna be that way for the rest of the story. Homer will be around, but not as many chapters will be about him. I think I have twelve chapters left, now if only I had better motivation than this. Oh well. And I will admit, since Artie has only been in three episodes, he is a little hard to write. So I probably haven't gotten him down very good, but I tried.

Any way there is the chapter, hope you all enjoyed it. I will update again when I can so please review and let me know what you think. Also I have no idea why my links don't work on my profile page. I tried to fix it, I think it might be a glitch of some kind. Oh well. Hope you are all well and I will update soon.


	27. Breaking a vow

Artie nervously took a small sip of his red wine at the local restaurant as he stared back at Olivia, knowing very well why she invited him to dinner. Marge was out of town for a few days on an art teacher conference in Capitol City. He was alone for a few days, and Olivia was taking advantage of it. Artie was very unsure about being there, so far it had been two and a half months without giving into temptation now that Olivia worked just a few offices down. Tonight looked promising though, at least in Olivia's mind. For the past few weeks, she had been hounding him to go out to dinner with her and when he mentioned that Marge was out of town for a few days, she made sure to take note of that when she asked. It finally worked,Artie picked her up and drove her to a nice fancy restaurant for the evening.

As he sat there, Artie stared at Olivia's dark green dress with concern. All that held it up were two very thin spaghetti straps, and even though she barely had any bosoms, this dress made sure to show that they were there and willing to let him go to second base. What surprised Artie most though, was the fact that the dress was actually long and going down to her ankles, not at all like the short skirts she had been wearing off and on every time she came down to visit him. It was split at the side though, so of course when she crossed her legs she made sure you could see them.

This was definitely not good, Artie knew he should have said no, but how could he when she pestered him on and on about going to dinner together. Finally Artie decided that since Marge was away, he could at least play for a little while. So far he had only kissed her a few times, rarely did he get any further before he remembered that he was married. He didn't want to cheat on her too much, that would be too much of a guilt trip. Though it was sort of fun sneaking around and meeting for a little while secretly. His nervousness usually subsided, though right now he felt that all eyes were on him in that room and wasn't sure if he should bolt or stay put and enjoy the grilled trout with fries. As long as no one knew him, he would be fine, Marge would never know.

Nervously he took another sip of the wine and looked and flipped through the dessert menu wondering if he would be hungry enough to want any of the cakes or pies afterward. While he did so, Olivia watched with a smile on her face as if it was a funny thing to watch as he tried his best to act disinterested in her. Olivia knew though that he had always shown interest in her and had tried numerous times to leave that boring wife of his and settle down with her. Of course that just wouldn't happen and now she had to try foreplay with him whenever possible. Of course she thought this was more fun than if he was single, but still, one day things would work out for her and life would be perfect.

"I heard the chocolate mousse is delicious here," Olivia said nonchalantly.

"Huh...?" Artie replied before realizing what she said. "Oh yeah I heard that too." He tried to keep his head down, hoping he would not get too tempted. Of all the places to be nervous at, it had to be here. Even though he kissed and started a little bit of foreplay in his office, he did not feel as bad being there with her as he was right now here in this room filled with other people. Many of his coworkers could have walked right on in and seen him engaged with Olivia, but so far, it had not happened.

"Artie, you know Marge is a day away from here, no one in this room knows you, and really, if you think about it, it's just a business dinner," Olivia said with a giggle.

"Either way I keep sensing her," Artie said as he pushed the dessert menu away as his meal arrived.

"That's only because she is a nagging wife who you are now stuck with. Think of this night as an advantage, you finally get to be away from her for a while, enjoying new company and not having to hear about what part of the house you need to clean," Olivia said with a smirk.

"She doesn't nag," Artie said as he shoved a piece of fish into his mouth.

"You only think that because you are so used to it now," Olivia said as she took a piece of chicken and ate it happily.

Artie thought about this for a minute, and unfortunately realized that Olivia was right. Marge did ask him to do a lot around the house. Well it was the husbands job to help, but now he remembered how weekends were usually spent cleaning the kitchen or washing the cars. This weekend though, he would be alone, Marge would not return until Sunday night. He could do whatever he wanted and Marge would never know. A spark seemed to suddenly light up in him as he thought about that and his nervousness quickly disappeared as he looked up at Olivia with new excitement. She was not his wife, she was just a friend from work who would not nag him and make him happy. She did not look like a housewife at all in fact, she looked radiant, more beautiful than Marge at that moment. A happy feeling soon came over him and he gave Olivia a sly smile.

"You're right, she's not here right now, I need to enjoy my weekend," Artie said as he took a big gulp and began to eat his fish hungrily.

Olivia let out a soft chuckle knowing full well that she now had the upper hand. "Soon enough Artie Ziff, you will be in my grasp."

It was still an early evening by the time Artie and Olivia finished their meal and neither one of them was ready to go home. Beside the restaurant was the riverfront where they could walk alongside the water or walk through the nearby park enjoying the evening air. Now that Olivia had convinced him that there was nothing to worry about, Artie no longer looked around nervously for any signs of people he might know or might tell on him. Instead he walked silently with Olivia for a little while as they stared down at the river that slowly wound around structures and rocks. After a few minutes, Olivia made her way down to a nearby path and took her shoes off in the water and sat down. Artie watched from above wondering if he should be down there with her.

"Come on, Artie, the water feels nice," Olivia said as she waved him over.

Artie grinned and made his way down before taking off his shoes and sat beside Olivia watching the river. For a moment, both just stayed silent enjoying the evening air until Olivia suddenly leaned over and put her head on Artie's shoulder. Artie did not move, instead he stayed put and put his arm around her. There was no use letting go, she wanted him and it was best to let her win this time around. After all, he didn't need to be home tonight, Marge was not home and his bed would be empty. Why hurry to something that was empty? No, he liked this company.

"Oh Artie, do you ever dream of anything else?" Olivia asked.

Artie sat there thinking for a moment about Olivia's question, not sure what she was asking. "What do you mean?"

"I mean do you dream of a different future, a different life, something like that?" Olivia asked.

"Well I always wished I was still I Capitol City, I probably would have a better job and be happy with it," Artie replied.

"Why aren't you any way?" Olivia asked.

"Because of Marge, her father is sick and she wants to be closer to family, especially if anything happens. But she did admit that one day she would not mind moving back there when the time was right," Artie replied.

"What if I told you I would rather live there?" Olivia asked.

"I would ask you the same question," Artie said with a small chuckle.

Olivia laughed a little before responding back. "I needed to try a new internship before graduating. I found this one and thought it would be interesting to work in another city. I remember you got hired there too so I thought maybe we could meet up and...well the rest is history."

"...Makes sense," Artie said with a sigh. That's when a thought occurred to him. Did he make a mistake by marrying Marge? Why was he suddenly enjoying this night with Olivia? Was it because he hadn't done anything like this with Marge in years? Or was it just because his testosterone was acting up? Ever since he saw Olivia he had a small crush on her and apparently the feeling was mutual. But how long could they keep it up? Marge was bound to find out one day and things would most likely get very messy and he really needed to sort things out and find out what he really wanted in life, or things would end badly.

"Do you want to keep walking?" Olivia asked as she lifted her head and then gave Artie a soft kiss on the cheek. Artie's eyes widened before he turned to her with a smile.

"Sure, let's move on," Artie replied as he helped Olivia stand up and make her way back up the embankment.

It wasn't long before both walked side by side down the park lane, staring up at the stars and wondering about the future. Artie of course thought about how long he could keep it up like this. He knew it couldn't last forever. Perhaps after this night he could call it off, give her the silent treatment and hopefully she would go away. Hopefully anyway, it was hard to get her away from him."

"Olivia, you don't mind if I ask you a personal question," Artie began.

"I am on the pill if that is what you are about to ask," Olivia said.

"Oh no not that. I was just wondering why you have chosen me out of all the men you've been around? What do you see in me that you don't see in others?" Artie asked.

"Well, you have this innocent look about you but deep down I know you can drop that innocence and show who you really are. I really discovered it after the first night that we made love those years ago. Your hands were so firm and you were willing to go the extra mile and keep making love. It was just so passionate that I've longed for it ever since."

"Hmmm...that was a long time ago though, I seriously doubt I can do just as good as that last time. I was younger then, and not married."

"You were still in a relationship and you had no regrets, I saw that look on your face, I remember it. You were so proud of yourself."

Artie shrugged, Olivia really wanted him to remember that night. How they made sweet love in her dorm room for few hours before Artie finally realized how late it was and needed to go back to Marge. He remembered how Olivia wanted him to stay but he knew Marge would wonder where he went and he had to go home before things got crazier.

"Yeah that was an interesting night," Artie said.

"We should do it again!" Olivia exclaimed.

"What's that?" asked Artie.

"Take me home Artie and together we can dance the night away with our love. And you don't have to worry about going home to Marge for this one. I'm yours tonight, no one else's and it's the perfect night for it," Olivia said.

Artie thought about it for a minute. Have another one night stand with Olivia? How could he say no to it really? Especially with the way she was acting right now, dangerous and seductive. Ready to go in for the kill. He could do it, Marge wouldn't know and once it was all over he would do his best to avoid her once and for all. Yes one last time with Olivia would work, just one last time.

"Alright, let's go then," Artie said as he let her hold his arm while he led the way back to his car.

* * *

Artie parked his car in front of Olivia's apartment and sat there for a minute staring up at the long stairs that led to the door where Olivia planned on inviting him in to. Olivia had told him not to be nervous and for a long time, it worked. But now that he was where he needed to be, he could feel his stomach churn and the need to bolt from where he was was going grew stronger every second. That was until Olivia brought him out of his trance.

"Aren't you going to open the door for me Artie?" Olivia asked.

"Huh?" Artie replied first before looking straight at Olivia. She looked just as lovely as she did in the restaurant, and the more he saw her, the more his nervousness subsided. It wasn't long before he quickly got out of his car and made his way around to let Olivia out. Finally both made their way up the stairs and into the great unknown.

It was a very simple apartment, spacious and delicate. The main colors were red and white especially in the living room where the couch was a lovely ivory accented with red velvet pillows. Along the wall hung pictures with a red border and a bookshelf with a nice sized television set. It was very different from the dorm room that Artie had visited years before. Definitely not as messy and more welcoming.

Go ahead and have a seat, I'll just be a minute, I need to put on something more comfortable," Olivia giggled before disappearing behind a door, no doubt where her room was located.

Artie sat there twiddling his thumbs and wondering how long this was going to last. Would she just be happy with some simple love making and that would be it, or would she never want him to leave and they would keep going at it for hours. Whatever it was going to be, Artie began to imagine how amazing it would be. When he first made love to Olivia, it didn't last long thanks to the worry about Marge. Of course he was worried about Marge now, but he was not going home to her and he would not be seeing her for two more days. It was just perfect timing and things would work out in the end. He would be back with Marge and hopefully Olivia would leave him alone afterward.

"Well Artie..." Olivia said as she walked out of her room. She was wearing a lacy piece of lingerie that barely went below her private area. It was held up by spaghetti straps and was made of a silky fabric. If she was not screaming for sex before, she was now.

Before Artie could even say anything, she sat down beside him and let her hair fall down on her bare back. Artie stared for the longest time, unsure of what to do next. Her entire being was like that of a foul temptress that lured him in ever closer to the most horrible of crimes. She was beautiful, she was amazing, and she was intelligent. She knew how to get him closer to her and he was moments away from being able to do that.

Olivia knew he was thinking about what to do next, without hesitation, she moved forward and sat beside him before putting her hand on his thigh. Artie flinched a little, but didn't back away, instead he moved forward too and and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Moments later, their lips locked together and both held each other in a magical embrace. While doing so, Artie was able to manipulate around her lacy dress, undo her bra and began to caress her. Olivia only had her arms around his neck massaging his shoulders as things became more intimate before Artie began kissing her. First on the cheek, then on the mouth, the chin, the neck, the bosoms, the stomach and then even further down sending chills down Olivia's spine. Artie was now doing the unspeakable, he had gone against everything that was important in a marriage, he was betraying Marge with no remorse whatsoever, and what was even worse was that he was expecting a child from her.

Artie didn't care though, it wouldn't happen again, as soon as it was over, he was going to avoid Olivia whenever possible. He knew she wanted one more night like this together and she finally got her wish. Now it was time to let go and move on, it was time for Artie to stay faithful to his wife and prepare for the new arrival that was to come. Little Artie Junior, his new pride and joy. Of course though, he just had to get out of Olivia's grasp and that was unfortunately not happening any time soon.

* * *

When Artie awoke the next morning, he found himself in Olivia's bed, her hand resting on his chest while she slept soundly beside him. He had not planned on staying out this long, but every moment he spent around her, the more she wanted him with her and he had no choice but to follow her into the bedroom where they made sweet love for hours. Now Artie knew it was time to go home and prepare for Marge's return but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to leave Olivia, not yet any way.

Instead he lay there staring up at the ceiling wondering what to do now. Marge was coming home tomorrow, he had time, but he did wonder if she had been trying to call him while he was away. He hoped she hadn't because then she would be extremely upset. He would have to call her when he got home. For now though, he could only think about what had gone on the night before. This was more than what he had done to Olivia the first time and this second time was much more intimate. Quite a few times he had found himself breathing heavily, sweat pouring off of him as he lay down to rest after making love. Olivia would only smile and give him a minute to compose himself before urging him on. Finally, he was just too tired to continue and before Olivia could ask for more, he was sound asleep beside her and there he stayed until morning.

Artie had never made love to Marge like that, usually it was quick and enjoyable. Worthy enough to say "yeah we did it, and look we have a bundle of joy on the way to prove it." This time though, he wondered what made this night so much better than the ones with Marge. Was it just because of the thrill of doing the unthinkable with someone he wasn't married to? That had to be it, he was enjoying a thrill ride and he wasn't getting caught because of it. The first time was just a practice run, this second time was the real game and he had made it to home plate without even trying too hard. Artie couldn't help but smile at the fact, Marge would be so ignorant of the fact that he could do it again if he wanted to. But no, he couldn't, if he did it again, then Olivia would ask for more. But then again, the thrill of doing something behind Marge's back was kind of fun. How long could he do it without her knowledge? Would she become suspicious? How often could he do this? He didn't realize there would be so many questions behind the idea of cheating.

"Good morning sleepyhead," Olivia said quietly.

Artie turned to face Olivia who was smiling at him. Her eyes half shut and her hair very mussed up from last nights shenanigans. Yet she still looked just as lovely as she did when he picked her up for dinner and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Hey," he said with a sigh.

"Last night was amazing, just so you know," Olivia said.

"Well I was told by someone once that I had busy hands," Artie grinned.

"It shows, the way you caressed me, I haven't had a massage like that in years," Olivia said.

"Well I'm glad you liked it," Artie said as he sat up to stretch.

"You're not leaving me now are you?" Olivia asked as she sat up too but in a more worried tone.

"I have to, I wasn't supposed to be out this late, Marge might have called me," Artie said.

"Why can't you just forget about Marge and run away with me," Olivia replied while she watched Artie change.

"Because she is my wife and I love her. I'm not going to abandon her, not when she has a baby coming," Artie said while putting on his pants and nearly falling on the floor when he tried to fit one of his legs through it.

"If you loved her so much, would you really have done those things you did to me last night?" Olivia asked.

Artie stopped what he was doing and stared back at Olivia. She had a point there, if he really did love her, would he go that far as to cheat on her? He suddenly had a conundrum on his hands.

"Well you are a foul temptress," Artie said.

Olivia laughed. "And you are Odysseus caught between many obstacles. Though I do believe you really don't love her as much as you think, otherwise you would have stayed away from me. After all, when I do see you at work, you are not afraid to make love for a brief moment. It's almost like you married the wrong girl," Olivia said.

Artie stared at Olivia for the longest time. She really was a foul temptress and one that seemed to be trying to get him to leave Marge. It probably would have worked if he wasn't married or was expecting a child, but at the moment he wanted to stay with her, and this time he had to make an important decision.

"Then I don't ever want to see you again, Marge is mine and I would like to keep it that way thank you very much," Artie said as he made his way toward the door.

"Just keep thinking that Artie Ziff, I know you'll change your mind eventually. I can see it in your eyes. You love me, you just don't want to admit it," Olivia said as Artie opened the door.

Artie had no idea what to say to that, he could only stare back for the longest time. He stared back at the woman he cheated on so many times and wished he never met her at all. She was so tempting and dangerous, he had to get away from her. There was no use arguing, she would keep trying to win the fight. Finally without any more hesitation, he walked out the door and closed it behind him leaving Olivia standing in her living room alone wondering if any of her message would ever change his mind.

* * *

A/N: And there we go with another exciting sex chapter. Yes I know those parts weren't very descriptive but like I said before, I really don't want to give this an M rating. But yeah looks like Artie is in deep water. Will Olivia leave him alone? Well I you will have to find out now won't you. So please review, I know I still have readers and I know I only get a few reviewers now. But I would not mind a little more, I just want to read what some of you think of what is going on. I just like seeing how you guys see things and leave you guessing.

Well that's all I have for now. I hope to update again very soon, so have a nice week everyone.


	28. The Worst Mistake

Five weeks had come and gone. In those five weeks, Artie did his best to avoid Olivia whenever possible. It seemed to work out well, he only ran into her twice as he was going about his daily business. Once a week after the incident by the water fountain and another time on his way out of work. Both times Olivia stared back at him, hoping for a response, but both times Artie moved quickly hoping that she would not bother him. Marge hadn't found out either, she came home Sunday evening with Artie waiting for her in the living room with a box of chocolates and flowers. His way of promising to never cheat on her like that again. Olivia was way too tempting for him and he really hoped that once her internship was up, she would leave and find something better. Maybe even a man who had no one to love.

But the hope of having her out of his life for good, quickly changed one afternoon at the doctors office with Marge. It was one of Marge's checkups on the baby and one Artie didn't want to miss because they would find out the gender of the little miracle. Both sat together in the waiting room trying their best to ignore a crying child and hearing an old man complain about his back. Marge was looking through a new parent magazine hoping to get tips on how to raise a child properly. Her stomach was now much larger and was usually the center of conversation when talking to friends or random people in line at the supermarket. She was so proud of what was coming and could not wait to start a new life with Artie. Both were a little nervous about it though, but that was to be expected.

Artie watched her read the magazine for a moment before he himself decided to look through an old science magazine about string theory. As he kept his nose in the book, he did not notice a familiar face enter the room and check in. In fact he did not notice her at all until she took a seat just few chairs next to him. She smiled at him until Artie could sense that she was looking and looked up with a startled face.

"Olivia? What are you doing here?" Artie asked.

"What do you think I'm doing here," Olivia asked as she rolled her eyes. Why else would she be in a doctors office.

"Oh yes, checkups are always important. We're here to see how the baby is progressing," Artie said as she pointed to Marge who looked up from her reading and looked back at Olivia curiously.

"Oh this must be the Marge you've mentioned to me before," Olivia said in a voice that had some jealousy to it.

"Yup, this is her. Marge this is Olivia, a coworker of mine," Artie said.

"Nice to meet you Olivia, I haven't heard about you," Marge said curiously.

"Oh really? I'm surprised he hasn't," Olivia said as she glared at Artie. Artie stared back surprised. As if he was going to tell Marge he was cheating on her with this woman in front of him.

"I guess it slipped my mind," Artie said, rolling his eyes a little.

"Ah..." Olivia replied and looked over at the magazines next to her. She stared at them for a moment, wondering which one would be worth reading. But her mind was really not on that on the moment, not after taking a special test a few days ago, the reason for her visit. She wanted to say it to Artie right in front of Marge, but then again this was a public place, cat fights probably weren't allowed. But the way Artie was avoiding her these days, it was hard to get his attention. Now was probably the best time to break it to him. In private though and then let him sort it out and decide what to do in the long run.

"Artie can I talk to you out in the hall real quick, it's just about business stuff I am a little confused with," Olivia said.

"Uh...sure?" Artie replied. "I'll be back in a second Marge." He said as he got up and began to make his way out the door.

Marge watched him go, curious as to why a business issue could not wait. But sometimes she had teachers who were known to run into each other at the mall an talk about their lesson plans. As long as it was quick though, she knew that Artie did not want to miss this checkup.

Artie stood out in the hall with Olivia who was standing against the wall, staring up at a painting of flowers. She looked really tense and Artie was not sure what was going on. He remained silent though, letting Olivia speak. It took her a few moments to actually say anything. Instead she just stared up at the painting as if she was waiting for someone to actually hand her the flowers.

"I find it sort of ironic to run into you here of all places," Olivia said after a long moment of silence.

"Yeah, though I am really hoping you are not trying to do anything funny out here. Now is not the time," Artie replied in a stern voice, hoping Olivia was not out here for some annoying seduction.

"I am well aware of that Artie," Olivia said in a tone that was very much unlike her. Angry but more upset than anything.

"Then what do you want?" Artie asked.

"I'm late," Olivia replied.

Artie stood there, unable to process what she had said for that brief moment. Late? If she was late then why was she out here talking to him. The doctor would probably be ready for her by now, if he already wasn't behind. But then as he thought more about it, the more he realized why she was at the doctors and a horrible feeling of dread came over him. One that told him what he had done was the worst ever and now there was no turning back, he had made a mistake that was going to cost him. It was all thanks to her, but she of course would deny it.

"But you said you were on the pill," Artie said worriedly.

"I was, but apparently it didn't work. Unless it's skipping this month which is unlikely because that only happens if you don't take the last week of the pill and just move on to the next packet," Olivia said.

"Oh crap!" Artie replied as he began to pace back and forth down the hall. This was not good, definitely not good. He never thought this would happen, now he knew Olivia would find ways to make him stay with her and pay for supporting what was to come. But then again, was he the only one she slept around with?

"I can't be the only one can I?" Artie asked.

"In the past month yes," Olivia said.

"Son of a bitch!" Artie replied angrily. Mainly at himself, he just had to be cursed by this foul temptress and now things were not looking good. What was he going to do now, could he tell Marge? It would upset her too much, he had to think about the babies well being too. Stress was never good on a pregnant mother and telling Marge what was happening, well, who knows what would become of that.

"You know you will have to help me," Olivia said sternly.

"Artie!"

Artie jumped and turned around to see Marge standing there, how long had she been there? He hoped not long since he had been shouting profanities most of the time.

"The doctor is ready."

Saved by the bell, figuring out what to do would have to wait. For now, he needed to be with Marge as she found out the gender of her child. But now that Olivia had told him the news, his mind was now swimming as he entered the doctors office. He was going to be a father alright, one through marriage. The other was thanks to adultery. How in the world could he keep that a secret. He could pay Olivia to keep quiet and not black mail him, but he really wasn't that rich to do so. An abortion? Maybe, but he had no idea where Olivia stood on that issue. He wasn't sure himself at the moment, maybe adoption would be better. Oh man did he mess up!

But he had to stop thinking about that now and pay attention to his wife who was sitting in a chair getting an ultrasound. The nurse moved the remote on Marge's round stomach for a few minutes trying to get a good reading on the tiny thing inside. After a few moments, the nurse revealed the ultrasound and gave Marge a happy smile.

"Looks like the baby is coming along fine," the nurse said.

"And the gender?" Marge asked with a curious face.

"Hmmm... our readings aren't the best...but...hmm...looks like from what I am seeing that it will be a boy," the nurse said.

Marge smiled, just what Artie wanted most. A boy to teach and carry on in his footsteps. Little AJ. Marge watched the ultrasound for a moment, mesmerized by the picture on the screen before turning to Artie. But Artie wasn't watching, instead he was starting at the ground, looking very lost in thought. Did his friend tell him something important about work that he was now worried about? That seemed to be the case because he was not like that when they first got there.

"Artie, have you looked at the screen?" Marge asked.

Artie looked up suddenly from his moment of thinking. He looked surprised, as if he forgot he was in the doctors office waiting for his wife to be checked on. He blinked a few times before finally looking up at the screen and staring at the strange blur that was supposed to show a tiny baby.

"That is what you use to see inside?" Artie asked.

"Yes, we've been using it for years, it gives us a fairly accurate reading," the nurse replied.

Artie moved closer and stared for a long time, studying his future son that was swimming around inside his wife. He could not believe it, his own son, right there in front of him, growing inside his wife. If only he could get a better picture of it. If only he could see AJ in a better perspective. If only he could see his tiny toes and feet in the best way possible right now, just to get his mind off of Olivia. But the technology was not advanced yet, and he had to deal with that.

"I should come up with a better ultrasound technique where we could see the child better. Because it really doesn't look like much," Artie said truthfully trying his best to think of this idea and ignore the fact that Olivia was probably in the next room being tested to see how far along she was.

"We are always hoping for something new Mr. Ziff. If you can come up with something, we would love for that to happen," the nurse said.

"That could get me higher up in the company too," Artie replied trying to think how he could create something better. In the meantime, Marge was done and ready to head on home. Now that she knew the child was healthy, it was time to prepare for the little miracle. It wouldn't be long before he was finally born and a start of a whole new life for both Artie and Marge.

Hopefully things would be fine, hopefully Olivia just had a false alarm and he didn't have to worry. He wanted to know now too, he wanted to find Olivia and be with her as the doctor checked up on her and heave a big sigh of relief once both realize that it was just that, a false alarm. As Marge began walking out to the reception office, Artie looked down the rows of rooms, looking for Olivia until the very end door where one doctor was walking out with a urine sample. He needed to know, he could not wait any longer.

"Marge, do you mind if I discuss something with my friend, we need to get the problem sorted out. It shouldn't be long," Artie said.

Marge stared at Artie as he stood in front of the doorway to his coworker. He looked nervous as if his life depended on getting something sorted out right away. "Just this once, I'll be waiting out here," Marge replied.

Artie didn't say another word and quickly walked into the room where Olivia was sitting there waiting for any news. She was only wearing those uncomfortable hospital scrubs and sitting alone on the table twiddling her thumbs until Artie walked in. Quickly she jumped off the table and ran to hug him. Artie hugged her back, but only briefly before pushing her away.

"Are you sure you might be?" Artie asked worriedly.

"Pretty sure, I am having the same nausea your wife had," Olivia said.

Artie let out a sigh and scratched the back of his head to think about what he had done for a moment. He committed adultery and it turned into this. He was now most likely expecting two children, from two different people, one of which was not his wife. Marge was going to be furious if she found out. Would he be able to keep this a secret? Something had to be done.

"You know you will have to help me with this," Olivia said as Artie stood there wondering what to do.

"I know, I know, but I have a wife who is expecting a child too. She needs me to help her through this, I can't abandon her," Artie said.

"Oh so you are going to abandon me when I need you! It's your child!" Olivia replied angrily.

"So is the one my wife is having, but I am not married to you!" Artie replied back just as angry as Olivia was.

"So, you still have an obligation, you will help pay for this and care for it," Olivia said.

Artie sighed, she was right, there was no argument there. But something had to be done, he couldn't care for two children, especially if one was the cause of cheating. Olivia didn't seem like the kind of person who would even want a kid. All she wanted was to get laid and move on. Well at least from other guys, it still made no sense as to why she liked Artie so much, especially since Artie kept telling her he had Marge. Something had to be done and hopefully Olivia would agree to it. "I know this is sort of a bad question to ask..." Artie began, but Olivia seemed to know what he was thinking.

"No, I do not stand on that principle. Adoption maybe, but I'd rather keep it," Olivia said.

"Why?" Artie said.

"Because I think that sooner or later you will realize that this child was supposed to be born and that you were supposed to fall in love with me. Not that other girl out there," Olivia said.

Artie stared back at Olivia, amazed at how selfish she was and how she did not care that he had a wife. Apparently she was his and his alone. He had no choice in the matter and that sooner or later he and Olivia were going to live happily ever after. But Artie was too angry with Olivia now to see that through, he wanted to yell at her, he wanted to fight back until he won out and there would be no child. Instead though, the doctor walked in, looking a bit startled that Artie was there in the first place. At first, the doctor only stood there, a little shocked to see Artie again, this time with another woman. Hopefully it wasn't what he was thinking, but it was hard to tell these days. He once saw a guy come in four times with a different woman in one year. The poor guy looked like he was about ready to jump by the time it was revealed that the fourth girl was also pregnant. Of course he had to keep quiet and went right to the subject at hand.

"Looks like you were correct on this Miss Winters. You are pregnant."

And with that, before Artie could hear anything else, before even thinking about yelling back and getting into a fight. He was out the door, looking for Marge and wishing he could turn back time.

* * *

It was payday and Homer was making his way down the long hallway to his services office to pickup his paycheck. It had been a long week and he was ready to get some more money into his account. He had seen some very nice looking jeans at one of his favorite stores about a month ago, and now he finally had enough money to get them. But that was not the only reason why he was happy for this paycheck, he had an idea and he hoped it would work.

As he walked down the hall, he had one hand behind his back, and in that hand was a bouquet of flowers for Emily, Joe's secretary. After working for the company for a few months, he decided that what the heck, Emily seemed like a nice girl to go out with. They rarely talked though, but that was only because Emily never took her nose out of those books that she was reading every time he walked in. But maybe it was only because she did not have a man in her life and Homer hoped he could get her to go out with him.

He entered the room to find another employee there picking up his paycheck and engaging in a conversation with Emily. Something he had never seen her do before. Of course of all things they were discussing books and Emily seemed quite intrigued by the young man and his fondness of books. This of course made Homer nervous and made him wonder if both were interested in each other. Instead of walking up right away, Homer took a seat nearby, but it wasn't long before Emily saw him.

"Homer, do you need your paycheck?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, but I hope you don't mind me waiting, I just have a quick question to ask," Homer said nervously, hoping she would not notice the bouquet of flowers sitting beside him.

Both Emily and the man stared back at him for a minute, finally Emily simply shrugged and continued the conversation as if she was never interrupted to begin with. Of course, Homer was not expecting Emily to take so long talking to her friend. In fact, it went on for thirty minutes before the man finally left with a book in his hand. Homer pretended that he didn't notice the man leave and continued to read a magazine.

"Homer?" Emily called. Homer looked up curiously. "You had a question?"

Homer jumped up and nervously made his way over with the bouquet of flowers still hiding behind his back. As he walked over, he cleared his throat and tried to look as optimistic as possible to get her to say yes. At least that was what he hoped for. Marge was easy to ask for prom, and Jenna, well she just needed someone after that long hard day of work. Emily didn't seem to have that problem. All she seemed to do was sit there and hand out checks or help schedule appointments with Joe. She had an easy life, and one that Homer would be happy to take part in.

"Emily, how are you this afternoon?" Homer asked as he approached her.

"I'm quite well, just finished Atlas Shrugged a few days ago. I thought I would never finish it, extremely long. Now I'm reading A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, have you heard of it?" Emily asked.

Just the mention of Hemingway brought back memories of Key West for Homer. The sun, the beach, the fishing, and most of all, Jenna. But he had to get her out of his mind so he could keep moving forward.

"I have heard of it, haven't read any of Hemingway's books, but I hear they are well done," Homer replied.

"They are yes, but what was it that you wanted to ask me?" Emily asked.

Homer cleared his throat once again and thought about how to present the flowers until finally he just revealed them before asking the question. "You wouldn't mind if I took you out to dinner would you?"

Emily stared at the bouquet of flowers, surprised that Homer would suddenly ask such a question. She did not realize that he had any interest in her, of course he did seem a bit shy. He would would walk away from her nervously whenever he came to get his check. Maybe he had wanted to ask her for a date for a while now, he just never had the heart to ask. She didn't know much about him either, just that he worked for the janitorial service and was a pretty good worker according to Joe. Maybe he was good at pleasing a lady on the first date. She had no idea, but why not, it was fun to learn more about the people she worked around. The man before him had dated her once. It didn't work out, but they still talked about their favorite books.

"You know, I haven't been to a good restaurant in ages, what did you have in mind any way?" Emily asked.

"I was thinking of a nice cafe somewhere, we could have a sandwich and some coffee and enjoy the evening," Homer replied knowing that cafe's were favorite hangouts for people like her.

"Hmmm, sounds lovely. Why not, Where were you thinking?" Emily asked as she finally took the flowers and sniffed them before setting them down next to her book.

"How about Sundress Cafe near downtown on Wednesday?" Homer asked.

"Ooh I would love to to but I have a class on Wednesday," Emily said.

"Thursday then?" Homer asked.

Emily thought for a moment, trying to remember if she had any plans at all. "I think I am open that evening," she replied.

"Sounds great! I'll meet you there at six," Homer replied.

Emily only nodded as she handed Homer the check. Homer quickly took it out of her hand and made his way out the door. When he finally left the building, he danced a happy little jig on the way to his car. Things were finally looking up. He had a date and maybe someone to love again. Hopefully any way, he still had that first date to contend with.

* * *

A/N: And look how fast I just updated! I think I got a good wind on this story now, especially since I realized I have only ten more chapters to go. It's actually kind of exciting and this means I might be updating faster than normal to get this story done. And mostly because one reader will be leaving in August for a special thing for school. Plus it's really time for me to retire. I need to move on and write an original story. So yeah if you haven't been shocked yet, wait until chapter 30 mwahahahaha! And please review, I keep getting only three of you. Well I know there is a fourth but she decided to give up fanfiction for lent, what a brave girl. But yeah more reviews please or something. I might have to wait until the final chapter but meh. Oh well see you all later.


	29. A Date With Emily

Homer had never felt this excited in a long time as he happily sang to himself while he styled his hair to get ready for his date. He had been preparing himself for this day all week and was very glad that the day was finally here. Maybe this time things would work out better. Maybe things would last and maybe he would be happy again. Of course he still had to get past the first date and get to know Emily, but he remained positive. Something good had to come out of this.

He quickly dabbed some cologne onto himself and once he felt that he smelled fantastic, he grabbed his car keys and skipped down the stairs humming happily to himself as he went. His father was in his usual place by the television and probably would not have even said anything as Homer walked out the door, but instead got a whiff of Homer's scent.

"Ya trying to sneeze your date to death?" Abe asked.

"...What do you mean?" Homer asked before he could turn the knob.

"Well you probably overdid it on the cologne there," Abe replied.

Homer took a whiff of himself and let the scent linger for a minute. It didn't seem to bother him one bit and simply shrugged. "Seems okay to me."

"Okay, but if she gags, its probably because of you," Abe said.

Homer ignored the remark and quickly ran out the door to his car. There was a light rain falling, but it was nothing to be too concerned over. The air felt cool and nice to Homer and he knew that sooner or later it would let up and the night would be perfect for looking up at the stars. The roads were a little slick, but he simply ignored it as he made his way to Emily's house. She had given him directions a few days ago, and he already practiced on where to find her place, so he was able to arrive at the house just in time. Surprisingly, Emily was very prompt and was actually walking out the door when he arrived. He watched her walk toward him, she was wearing a modest black dress, one that was not too long and not too short. The top was almost like a tank top only it was thicker and did not reveal any of her chest. But Homer did not care, she still looked lovely. Quickly he got out of his car and made his way to the passenger side where he opened it to let Emily in. When Emily reached the car, she stopped before entering and looked up at Homer with a smile on her face.

"Ah being chivalrous tonight are we?" Emily asked.

"Uhhh..." Homer replied nervously. "I that means you like what I just did," Homer replied.

"Very much so," Emily replied as she sat down in the car.

Homer let out a nervous sigh before closing the door for her and making his way back to his side of the car. So far things were going smoothly, of course he should have known what chivalrous meant, but he hadn't been on a date since breaking up with Jenna and he knew he did not want to mess anything up. He just needed to remain calm and be himself or things would not work out.

They made their way down the road, Homer keeping his eyes on the road in front of him while Emily sat beside him, watching the light rain fall on the windowpane. She didn't say anything and to Homer, this seemed a bit awkward so he knew he had to break the ice.

"Nice weather we're having huh?" Homer asked.

"Yes it is nice, I always liked rain, just because it brings in new life and it smells lovely in the end," Emily said with a dreamy sigh.

"Yeah, thunderstorms are pretty neat too," Homer replied.

"They're especially nice while sitting down and reading a good book or even a poem. I know quite a few good poems about rain," Emily replied.

"Oh really, what's a good one?" Homer asked a little curiously. Truthfully he wasn't sure what to think of the idea of listening to a poem, but he wanted to have a good night with her. He did not want to act like a jerk and tell her that poems weren't his thing.

"Hmmm...let me think here, oh this one is always fun to tell. It's by a poet named Mitchell D Wilson" Emily began.

"Falling down, pooling up.

Out of the sky, into my cup.

What is this wet that comes from above.

That some call disaster, and others find love.

The harder it falls, the less it is nice,

the colder the falls, the harder the ice.

The rain has an art that I may not get.

So I stand still here and get soaking wet."

"Do poets have waterproof pens and paper? Because I bet he would have lost a few lines if he didn't," Homer replied with a smile.

"That's an interesting thought, maybe so, I'm just not a poet, I would rather be a writer," Emily replied.

"You would probably need good imagination for that," Homer said.

"And a love of books," Emily replied with a sigh as if she was imagining her own whimsical story about a young girl falling for the right guy or maybe even a fantastic adventure taking place in another universe. There was just so much you could do out there.

Homer only nodded, he knew he was close to where they needed to be. He drove slowly to make sure he did not miss it, and it wasn't long before the little cafe appeared. Homer brought his car to the closest available parking space he could find and escorted Emily into the restaurant.

It was a quiet night, only a few people were actually in the restaurant so Homer and Emily were able to be escorted to their seats right away. In the first few minutes, they ordered their drinks and then their meals before finally striking up a conversation. Homer was the first to start.

"So what do you like to do?" Homer asked.

"Oh you know, read, maybe work on my garden at home, keep the cat entertained, the usual, how about you?" Emily asked.

"Well before I worked for you guys I used to work with a friend of mine on a fishing boat down in Key West..." Homer began before Emily jumped up with excitement.

"Key West! Where Hemingway lived?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, never visited his house though," Homer replied.

"Oh I would love to go there one day. Have you ever read any of his books?" Emily asked.

"I glanced through The Old Man and the Sea," Homer replied a little nervously.

"Oh we need to fix that then, I just finished A Farewell to Arms. It's such a great book as it tells of the ravages of war and how rain can play a big part in a story," Emily replied in an excited way.

Homer was of course not a book reader, so he really was not sure what to do at this point other than nod or say "uh huh" He remembered that the advanced high school class had to read that work of literature while he and his other classmates were stuck with Tom Sawyer. This was one thing he knew he did not have much in common with Emily. She seemed to have a deep love for books and imagination. Something he was definitely not capable of having. His imagination was not as fun as Emily's probably was, usually he would try to imagine what things would be like if he and Jenna ended up staying together and it didn't go very far. He just saw both of them watching the beach and just sitting there happily. But at least it was something.

"It was interesting how Hemmingway went into some very gory detail about how war can be like. The main characters name is Henry and he falls in love with a nurse who brought him back to health. And then of course the end where he ends up all alone after Catherine passes away in childbirth. Such a heartrenching ending and Hemmingway can make it sound so sad as he is walking away in the rain," Emily sayed

"Hey I might have wanted to read that book one day," Homer replied with a smile.

"Well at least I warned you," Emily said while the waiter brought over their salad. Emily quickly took a bite before continuing. "So what else do you like?"

"Well I fished while I was down in Key West so that was fun. I also liked to surf and just relax and have a good time. I was born here, but I'm still trying to get used to things after being gone for so long," Homer replied.

"Yeah those kinds of things happen, but you'll get the hang of it. I've never given much thought to surfing, it looks to complicated. Plus the idea of sharks stalking you and whatnot," Emily said as she took a bite out of her salad. "Not my cup of tea."

"Well we never actually had that problem, rocks was my main issue," Homer replied.

Emily only nodded and was soon distracted by her meal. They ate in silence for a long time. Homer contemplating on how the night was going. So far he felt that it was going okay but truthfully, Emily really wasn't for him. She seemed to be the quiet type who rarely went out and was not into the same humor as him. It was a nice date, but he knew it would not end like Jenna's did. At the moment, he was really starting to miss Jenna. He wished he had a phone handy just so he could talk to her again. Maybe even get advice on how to charm this bookworm of a girl.

"So, any books you should recommend for me?" Homer asked.

"Hmmm..." Emily thought. "...recommendations are hard, especially with those you don't talk to as much. I will say though that I have often compared people to Shakespeare plays."

"But aren't those the most tragic stories ever?" Homer asked as he remembered how he had to read Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet in his sophmore English high school class. Each one of them drove him nuts as characters kept dying while the story just got more boring. Save of course for Macbeth, that Lady Macbeth, she really knew how to talk her husband into murder. There was actually a pretty cool version to that play from the Japanese called Throne of Blood. It was a lot more interesting and the dialogue was not so strange like the plays they had to read.

"Don't you remember, some of his plays were comedies like The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing. Much Ado About Nothing is one of my favorites, I just love how the main characters Benedick and Beatrice just get into these long arguments about how they hate each other. But in reality they really love each other."

"Do they know this?" Asked Homer almost quizzically.

"I'm not telling, you'll have to read it. But it is a great play about deception and how not everything is what it should be."

"Ah, interesting," Homer said, trying his best to sound enthusiastic but really wasn't doing the best job and Emily noticed.

"I'm boring you aren't I?" Emily asked.

Homer stared back in surprise, he didn't want to answer that question because then everything would most likely go downhill from there. But as he looked back at Emily, he noticed that her eyebrows were raised and that she would be upset if he lied. Of course she would probably be upset if he told the truth too.

"Sorry, I guess I wasted your night then," Homer said dejectedly. He was now ready to run, to leave the table right then and there and never see this woman again. Sure he would have to to pick up his paycheck, but right now, never getting money again sounded better than running into her every other Thursday.

"It's okay Homer, I'm not mad. I knew we would only be together one night, and it's not wasted, it's good to go out once in a while. Plus I wanted to see if I was wrong about you," Emily replied.

"Wrong about what?" asked Homer.

"That we just aren't compatible. You see Homer, I can see you lost someone you really liked before you came into my life. I'm not sure if I want to know how you lost her but I know you are trying to get past that. But not every girl you meet will be like her, I know I am not. I can sense that she was fun, energetic, and the perfect girl for you. You both shared a common bond that is rare in couples these days. I'm afraid I cannot do what she did for you, I just prefer quiet nights at home with my cat and curled up to a good book. I do like going out, just not very often. I guess you can call me boring. I hope to one day be an English teacher, if I can ever continue college, it's too damn expensive these days."

Homer stared back at Emily, she was so right about Jenna it was scary. How did she know this, was there some weird vibe in him that only others saw? Apparently he just couldn't let go of the past, no matter how hard he tried. He could have kept Jenna if Marge never showed up again in his life. And he could have kept Marge, if he didn't make such a stupid mistake all those years ago. Would he ever find anyone? It was upsetting to even think about, especially when he was sitting in front of a girl who seemed to read his mind like a Sherlock Holmes novel.

"You're right Emily, her name was Jenna. I made a mistake and I wish I can turn back time to fix it," Homer said with a sigh while looking down at his dinner but now feeling too full to even want to eat any of it.

"Did you cheat on her?" Emily asked.

"No way, I would never do such a thing. If I loved someone I would always stay by their side until they wanted to let go or they never wanted to leave me," Homer replied.

"Ah, a gentleman. Not many of those out there any more. But whatever you did, maybe one day she will come back to you. I had a friend who broke up with her boyfriend for three years until finally one day she realized how important he was to her and they are now happily married. They have a kid on the way too. They definitely deserve each other," Emily said.

"Good for them," Homer said sadly

"You'll find someone Homer, don't worry. You have many more years ahead of you," Emily said.

Homer only nodded and throughout the rest of the dinner, he remained silent and mostly picked at his food. He was in such a bad mood now that he was just ready to head home and hide in his bed. Emily had brought back painful memories of the breakup with Jenna and the night of the prom when Marge stayed with Artie Ziff and not him. Strange how long ago that was, nearly six years had gone by. Time sure was moving fast.

And just like the years, the minutes were also moving by quickly and it wasn't long before Homer found himself escorting Emily to her door now that the rain was falling harder that evening. Emily searched for her keys while Homer waited patiently, he know planned on going to Moe's for a beer. He just needed to drown his sorrows away.

"Thank you for the evening Homer, I'll see you around. Keep your chin up, and I am sorry it didn't work out," Emily replied as she walked into her house.

Homer stood at the door for a moment before finally walking back to his car. He unfolded his umbrella a little early, letting the rain drench his entire body. He didn't care if he got sick or not, he just wanted this night to be over with. He decided then that he needed to be among friends and it wasn't long before he made his way to Moe's, hoping that maybe his friends could cheer him up.

* * *

That same evening, on the other side of town, Artie had been summoned to Olivia's house. He was really in no mood to be there but Olivia was persistent and he had to leave Marge behind while she cleaned dishes. He told her that she needed him for some important business, he had been saying that a lot lately and he began to wonder how long he would keep it up before Marge became too suspicious. He knew she was now, but he had no idea how to tell her he was cheating on her without getting into a huge argument. It was bound to happen sooner or later, she would know about the child one day, but for now he just wanted to keep it a secret.

Artie pulled in to the apartment complex and ran as fast as he could up the stairs to avoid the rain. He didn't have to worry about knocking, Olivia was standing at the door waiting for him with a look of annoyance on her face.

"So this can't wait until tomorrow?" Artie asked in a whiny voice wishing he was back home helping Marge.

"No, I need to talk to you about this now, in private!" Olivia said angrily as she pulled Artie in before slamming the door. Whatever the problem was, it was not a good one and Artie wasn't sure what to do at that moment.

"What's troubling you this time?" Artie asked as he sat down in the living room while Olivia took a seat next to him and held his hand.

"I want you to divorce Marge," Olivia said.

Artie quickly let go of Olivia's hand and jumped up as he headed out the door. "I told you before, I am not leaving Marge, especially when she is heavily pregnant. Do you know what happens to babies who have stressed out mothers, it's not pretty," Artie said.

"Good one less child to worry about," Olivia said as she stood in front of the doorway.

"Listen I will help you with the child, I'll pay for the damn thing, I already have a separate checking account," Artie replied.

"That's not good enough, you are the father of this child and as father you need to be there for it," Olivia said.

"And what about Marge's, am I supposed to just let them both fend for themselves?" asked Artie.

"You will if you loved me and if you want to protect your ass!" Olivia exclaimed as she pointed at him angrily.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Artie asked as he moved away from the door. There was obviously no way of getting away from Olivia now.

"It means I won't tell anyone about this little miracle unless you take care of me," Olivia said.

"I am taking care of you!" Artie said angrily.

"That's not enough, you are stuck with me now Artie Ziff whether you like it or not," Olivia said as she pinned Artie to the couch and began to caress him. At that instant, his cheating instincts kicked in and he let out a happy sigh. That is until he realized what he was doing.

"Can't you just offer this child up for adoption, it will save us a lot of grief, especially for me," Artie said.

"Because I don't want to," Olivia said with a small giggle like it was the funniest reason in the world.

Artie growled under his breath. This woman, this very woman who he found very attractive was really making life difficult for him at the moment. He was married to Marge and he wanted to stay that way for the time being. He loved her, he always had, he couldn't help it if his mind wandered to this insane woman in front of him, she was so beautiful and an amazing lover that it was hard to give up on her. To him, she was like a cigarette, only more deadly.

"Listen I need to be there for Marge when the baby comes, in fact I need to help her because it's my child and I can't leave him for that. My little AJ will need me, I am naming him after me, hopefully he won't do what I am doing now, but maybe he will be just as smart," Artie said.

Olivia stared at Artie for a long time, almost like she was sizing him up. Artie knew that face, usually it meant she was about to seduce him, making him stay longer so they could do their dirty work. Of course she was pregnant now, no way she would spread her legs for him. But of course this was Olivia, she probably didn't care.

"You are paying for this child then, and you must be there for me when I go into labor. If not, your reputation in the office will be soiled is that clear," Olivia said angrily.

Artie stared back at her, hating her right now for being pregnant. But of course it was his own damn fault and he had to pay for it, literally. "Crystal."

"Good, now we must think of a name for the child," Olivia replied.

"But I need to go home," Artie said annoyed.

"Do you want me to tell Marge?" Olivia asked.

Artie grumbled under his breath and stayed put. "What did you have in mind?"

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

"A/N: Yeah definitely not my favorite chapter and I blame it on the fact that I am ready to start chapter 30 as soon as possible. Chapter 30 has been on my mind since the beginning, and one of the main reasons as to why I came back to this story. I hope to not disappoint in this next chapter, especially after this one and I apologize for how this one turned out. But please review when you can, hopefully I will have the next chapter up fairly quickly.


	30. Labor

It was late afternoon, the quiet time at the college where most students had gone home for the day. There were a select few still mingling about, but at the moment all was quiet and peaceful in the little college. This was a time that Homer liked, he could clean things faster and maybe even go home a little earlier. Sometimes he would stop by Marge's office and say a quick hello to her. She never seemed to worried about his presence and Homer did his best to act kind and not tell her she made a mistake with Artie. Apparently things were going right between them, they were having a child after all. Of course Homer still couldn't help that he felt very lonely without someone, but he knew that sooner or later someone would come to him and he would be forever happy. He just had to accept single hood a little longer, whether he liked it or not.

As for Marge, she was getting rounder thanks to the little miracle growing inside of her. She was due in two and a half weeks, though lately it felt sooner, the baby kicked more and she felt very uncomfortable while sitting down a lot. Sleeping was hard too, she sometimes woke up wondering if she was sleeping the wrong way and the short contractions she was getting was not helping matters.

What was worse though was the fact that Artie was coming home later. He said he was helping his assistant Olivia with certain work problems. It was often very sporadic and he usually wouldn't come home until very late, looking a little exhausted from whatever he was doing. Marge though was a little concerned too, at least twice he could smell the strong scent of Olivia's perfume. Did she just put a lot on or was it something much worse. Marge did not like that idea and tried to keep that thought out of her mind, she did not want to get too stressed out, she had a baby that needed to come out healthy and strong.

Artie had called Marge earlier, letting her know that he would be home a little late but promised he would be home in time for a good meal. Marge used this opportunity to get some papers graded before heading home. Halfway through grading one paper, she felt some heavy cramps on her legs. Knowing she needed to stretch them, she quickly got up and walked around the hallway, letting the feeling return and hoping to get comfortable in a few minutes. She was already halfway down the hall, when a horrible feeling hit her as she felt everything push down in her abdomen. Marge stopped walking hoping things would settle after a moment or two, but instead she felt another contraction, this one much stronger and caused her to move closer to the wall, where she leaned against it for a minute wondering what was happening. After waiting a few moments, her stomach would not settle and then she started feeling the baby move lower into her abdomen. Moments later, she felt something sticky flow down her legs. Finally she realized what was going on, she was going into labor.

Marge clung to the wall and began to breath heavily, the baby was not supposed to be due for another two and a half weeks, why now? Why was it coming earlier? It was best not to think about that now. She had to find someone. She looked around the hallway, not a single person was nearby and the other teachers were not in their offices, they had all gone home for the day. That left her with only one other option and she hoped he was nearby. What was today any way? She couldn't even remember the date at the moment because of what was going on, she just hoped that he was around and not at the elementary school.

"HOMER!" She called out in pain.

She stood there and waited for a minute, but no one responded, she was on her own and now she had to make her way back to the office and try and get a hold of Artie. But she couldn't move very far, the baby felt as if it was ready to come out now, was this even normal? Were these just simple contractions and the baby would not come for a while? It was so hard to tell because it hurt so much. Finally she stood against the wall and tried again.

"HOMER!" She cried and then waited.

At that very moment, Homer had just finished cleaning the men's restroom with another coworker named Henry when Henry was the first to hear Marge's distress call.

"Homer, is someone calling for you?" Henry asked.

Homer stopped what he was doing and listened carefully. All was silent for a good minute and just when Homer was about to shrug it off. Marge called to him again.

"Who is that?" Henry asked.

"Sounds like Marge, I think something's wrong," Homer said nervously as he set down a mop and ran toward Marge's office, Henry not far behind.

Homer ran down the hall toward Marge's office and just as he rounded the corner, she saw her, leaning against the wall breathing heavily and blood all around her. It looked like a murder scene, but he knew that that was not what had happened. He had never been around a woman in labor before, but he knew just by the look on her face that it was time.

"Oh no, you need help! And someone else should clean that up!" Homer said as he got closer and nearly fainted from all the blood. Henry stood nearby, shocked at what he was seeing.

"I'm so glad you're here, I can't even reach the phone to call Artie, can you do it for me?" Marge asked.

"Uh sure...what's his number" Homer asked.

"It's in my address book, in the drawer on the right on my desk. Try his work first, if he doesn't answer, try the house," Marge said as she continued to clutch her stomach and wince in pain.

"Alright, Henry, stay with her will you," Homer said as he ran to Marge's office and dug through her drawer, he was able to find the address book quickly and dialed Artie's number at work. The phone rang for quite some time before his voice mail came on. No one was there, it was time to try the house. Once again, no one answered, he had to be between places. A huge disadvantage. Homer knew Marge could not wait for very long, she needed to go to the hospital soon so she could give birth in a more stable place. Maybe he could take her, that is if she let him. Homer ran out of the room and ran back toward her.

"I could not get a hold of him, I know if I finally do get him, he will have to drive all the way back here before you get to the hospital. Would you be willing to let me take you?" Homer asked worriedly.

Marge stood against the wall for a moment, trying to think, but the pain was keeping her from doing so. Homer was willing to help her and Artie was missing in action. It would be a while before he was contacted too. Homer was her best bet at the moment, Artie would have to be called later once she was settled at the hospital, at least she hoped that would be the case.

"You don't mind?" Marge asked with another gasp of pain that brought her kneeling on the floor and clutching her stomach. Henry held her up a little so she would not go into too much shock.

"Not when you're feeling like this, I don't care if you do say no, you're coming with me," Homer said. He did not like how Marge was crying out and he was not going to leave her there to wait until other help arrived. Before Marge even knew it, Homer was carrying her in his arms and running out the door to his car, leaving Henry to take care of the mess. Carefully he set her in the front seat, ignoring the fact that she was in labor and quickly ran to the drivers seat and revved up the engine.

"Don't go too fast Homer, the contractions are strong, but the baby probably won't come right away," Marge said as she continued to breathe heavily.

"Okay, I'll do my best to be safe," Homer said nervously as he drove as fast as the neighborhood cops would allow.

The drive was mostly spent listening to Marge breathe heavily as the baby continued to make it's way along. Homer would turn to her every so often, looking very worried and wondering if he could make it to the hospital in time. But Marge said the baby probably would not arrive right away and he hoped she was right, he already left one mess to clean up at the school, which would be easy if Henry knew what he was doing. As for his car, well, that was a whole 'nother story. Halfway there, Homer stopped at a red light and watched as Marge breathed in and out, he knew it hurt her, she was gripping the seat tightly and crying heavily. Homer knew she needed someone and was glad to be there for her. Before he could even think about it further, he grabbed Marge by the arm and held it. For a moment, Marge stopped what she was doing and looked at him.

"I know we are not married, but maybe if I held your hand, you could feel calmer," Homer said.

Marge stared at him for a long moment, wondering why he was being so helpful, and for the longest time, things felt okay, she felt some amazing warmth grow inside of her and she wanted to hug him tightly. That is until another contraction took a hold of her as Homer drove forward again, causing her to squeeze his arm tightly, Homer winced but he stayed on course. This was going to be a long afternoon, and maybe even a long night, she had no idea how long this would take but she hoped things would work out fine. Hopefully someone could call Artie for her and her parents needed to be notified too. Just her luck, the baby couldn't wait for the due date, it had to come now. Another contraction hit, and she squeezed Homer's hand so hard that he almost ran into the curb, she was strong when she was in pain.

"Sorry Homer, listen... when we get there... I need you to do me a favor and call my parents... and try Artie again. They need to be there... can you do that?" Marge asked.

"Yeah sure, I don't think it would be too much trouble," Homer replied as he weaved in and out of traffic. Thankfully, he had only a few more miles to go.

* * *

By the time Homer had reached the hospital safely with Marge, Artie was halfway home and thinking heavily about the conversation he had just had with Olivia. The child was to be due in a few months and Olivia refused to find out what the gender of the child was. Artie didn't care though, he just wished it wasn't coming at all. He made a huge mistake and was now paying for it. How he would keep it a secret was anyone's guess, and if he did tell Marge, he had no idea how she would take it. She was so gentle and loving, but could that change in the blink of an eye? He had no idea and that was why he was so nervous and worried about it. He loved Marge, but he also had feelings for Olivia. He knew he had to help both of them, but sooner or later doing so would come up and bite him. He would one day have to choose, at least that's what Olivia seemed to tell him.

He weaved in and out of traffic, often realizing that he was thinking too hard and almost running into other motorists. He realized he needed to concentrate on what was going on and decided it was best to worry about his situation later. It helped too and it wasn't long before he came home safe and sound, ready for Marge to come home as well. He was almost ready to settle down and watch the news to get get his mind off Olivia when the phone rang. He made his way over and picked up the receiver.

"Ziff residence," he replied.

"Artie my boy, what took you so long getting home?" a familiar voice called. It was Clancy Bouvier and he sounded both nervous and a little angry about him not being by the phone all this time.

"I was getting some work done, how long have you been trying to call me?" Artie asked.

"About ten minutes, Homer Simpson tried you for thirty, if you were getting work done, why were you not answering your work phone?" Clancy asked.

"Because I was with another coworker in her office, but wait why is Homer Simpson trying to call me? What is going on?" Artie asked as he hoped that asking his question would lead up to something more important than why he had not answered the phone.

"Marge is in labor, Homer Simpson took her in for us because he found her in the hallway at the school," Clancy said.

Artie stood there, shocked that his wife had gone into labor so early. She was not supposed to for another two and a half weeks. Was the baby alright? Was Marge alright? But there was no time for those questions to be answered, he needed to be there and help his wife deliver his son.

"I'm on my way!" He said and hung up the phone.

* * *

Homer sat in the waiting room with Jacqueline, Clancy, Patty and Selma, he had been invited to stay after helping bring Marge to the hospital and both Mr. and Mrs. Bouvier were very grateful for him to have done so. They knew that if he had not been there, Marge would have been stuck there for a while longer before someone else found her. They were his knight in shining armor, now if only Artie would answer his damn phone when they needed him.

"I have to admit, even though I'm not the father, I'm still a nervous wreck," Homer said while they all sat outside waiting patiently.

"Well that's understandable seeing as how you found Marge in the hallway in labor and you bringing her in here. You probably have some connection with her," Clancy said.

"Well sir, if it doesn't sound odd, I've always felt that I had a connection with her, like we could be great friends," Homer said with a grin.

Jacqueline and Clancy both stared at him for a minute, they remembered him as the spare from that prom Marge went on with Artie senior year. Clancy was never fond of him, always remembered him as being the odd one out, the one who wouldn't matter much in the long run. He felt he was right about that, that is until he helped his daughter get to the hospital safely. Apparently even after all these years, he still cared about her.

"Well I guess that's a good thing, usually that means her husband is not the only one there for her," Jacqueline replied.

Homer only nodded before flinching at another one of Marge's cries of pain. He felt so bad for her, it sounded so painful for her right now and he wondered how much longer she could keep it up. Would she finally faint from exhaustion? Could this kill her? Or was she just waiting for Artie? Either way, it bothered him and he wanted to help her. He wanted to take peek inside to see how it was all going when Artie finally appeared looking very worried and concerned.

"Is AJ here yet?" Artie asked as he hugged the Bouvier family tightly.

"No not yet, she is still fighting to bring him out," Clancy replied.

Artie let out a sigh of relief, he had made it with time to spare. How much longer Marge would be in now was up to the baby. Marge could either hold it in for him, or the baby was ready but taking it's sweet time. Either way he knew he needed to be there, he was glad Olivia only stole him for a little while, knowing her she could have kept him all night. He was glad to get away from her tonight, that conversation was way to stressful, not that this was even more stressful, but at least he was getting something good out of it. Artie stood there for a moment, letting himself breathe a little after trying to get there on time, he let the family stay by him, they patted his shoulder and calmed him down so he could be ready. Meanwhile, Homer sat in a nearby chair watching and wishing he could be acknowledged for helping Marge to the hospital. But Artie simply ignored him and only glanced at him when he finally went in to be by Marge's side.

Homer let out a sigh and stared at the ground sadly, what a jerk Artie was! Just like the old days in high school. Some things never changed. Now he could only stay on the sidelines and wait to find out what is going on from Mr. or Mrs. Bouvier who were both pacing back and forth next to him. It was Mr. Bouvier who finally had to sit down and rest, he needed to any way ever since the operation a few years ago to help with the emphysema.

"Don't worry about it Homer, Artie's just nervous, he'll thank you later," Clancy said as he let out a heavy sigh.

"He better!" Homer replied grumpily not looking up from staring at the floor and tapping his feet against the tile.

"You know you remind me of myself when my girls were born," Clancy said.

"Really?" Homer asked as he finally looked up.

"Yeah, especially Patty and Selma. It was the early days too when twins were not common. So pregnancies were harder too. Poor Jackie, she went through such a long labor, how long was it any way Jackie?" Clancy asked.

"Oh I would say a good day and a half," Jacqueline replied.

"And then she stayed in the hospital for a good week because she was so exhausted. But my goodness, during those hours of waiting for the children to come. I thought I was gonna go insane, I probably smoked about ten packs of cigarettes on both occasions. Probably the reason why my life has been shortened. In fact...ugh...I have the urge to have some right now just because it's so stressful," Clancy replied as he checked his pockets to see if he actually had a pack of smokes. He hadn't smoked in a few years now. He started during a stressful time in his life and finally had to quit before he died too quickly. Of course the stress was back now, and he needed a smoke.

"Clancy, don't even think about it, I don't want two family members in the hospital tonight," Jacqueline said.

Clancy rolled his eyes and tried to think of a new solution for his need.

"Uhh...if you want I can smoke for you," Homer replied, even though he didn't have a cigarette of his own.

Clancy stared at Homer, who let out a concerned smile before getting up off his chair."Come with me then boy, I don't think the baby's coming out anytime soon. I know the security guards might have something for us in their break area," Clancy chuckled.

Homer couldn't say no to this, apparently Homer did something Clancy liked, definitely something different then when he first met him years ago for senior prom. Homer even wondered what made Clancy dislike him that one time, maybe it was just because he was the wrong guy there to pick up Marge and sort of ruined the family photo album.

It wasn't long before they found themselves outside in the break area around other doctors who were taking a much needed break. Clancy asked one stressed out doctor for some smokes and gave one to Homer and put the rest in his pocket, save for one which he put in his mouth and began to smoke it. Homer stared back at him worriedly, wondering what would happen if he did that. Clancy seemed to notice and pulled the cigarette out.

"Don't worry I'm not dead yet, I really don't think one could kill me like that," Clancy said as he put it back into his mouth and took another puff. "Well go on, have some."

Homer put the cigarette in his mouth and lit it. He had not had a cigarette since the old days in high school, but his memory on how to smoke was still there and puffed it like a pro. It did release some stress and it was nice to just sit outside with someone and think for a little while before heading back into the drama inside.

"Feel any better?" Clancy asked as he blew smoke.

"A little, truthfully I'd rather be fishing," Homer replied.

"Ah fishing, what a great sport, where do you fish?" Clancy asked.

"I haven't fished here in a long time, I actually used to fish in the Keys," Homer said.

"Oh so that's why I ran into you at the reception," Clancy said with surprise.

"Yes sir, I lived there, and my friend was playing his guitar for you guys," Homer replied.

"Oh, he was very good I must say. Well one of these days we should go fishing. I know a great place just south of here that has some great trout fishing. Would you be willing to join me?" asked Clancy.

Homer thought for a minute, just the idea of doing something with a fatherly figure might help him through the tough days of being alone. Perhaps this guy would be nice to talk to and he could possibly see Marge more. That is if Artie allowed it.

"I think I would like that," Homer replied as he took another puff of smoke.

"Very good, well I think we should head back, just in case, you never know," Clancy said as he inhaled what was left of his cigarette before throwing it out and heading back into the hospital.

Homer was only half done with his cigarette, but he did not care to finish it. Instead he snuffed it out, and followed Clancy back inside, hoping that Marge's labor would be over soon.

But his hopes were dashed as Marge continued to have contractions long into the night. The birth was turning out harder than they thought it would be. Was it because the baby was two and a half weeks early? The doctors were denying that and saying that first time mothers just had a harder time bringing the new child into the world. Marge was exhausted now, the doctors gave her some time to rest while Artie would come out from the room and pace back and forth, never saying a word. Homer wanted to give him words of encouragement, but Clancy usually beat him to it as they talked things over and wondered if maybe Marge needed to bring the baby into the world through cesarean section. A risky procedure, but would shorten the labor. Artie wasn't sure at all if that was what he wanted, and for the first time since entering the hospital, he turned to Homer for advice.

"Well what do you think Homer? Should we have her fight forever and exhaust her even harder or finish this and take the baby out ourselves" Artie asked with nervousness in his voice, the poor guy seemed so distraught over this now that he was even crying. Homer wasn't sure though, he had not been with Marge at all and had no idea if she was about to quit or not.

"How would you feel if I went in and saw her? I feel that maybe, if I saw her and talked to her I would help you decide what to do," Homer said.

Artie looked up at Marge's family, they all seemed to want to see her before making a final decision and he knew that he could not say no. They were her family and he cared for them dearly, too bad he had cheated on them one too many times. "Okay, let's make it quick though."

The family entered the room, Marge was lying on the bed, her legs spread out to bring the baby into the world. As they walked in, they all noticed how tired she was from what she was going through, her hair was a complete mess and she could barely open her eyes as Clancy and Jacqueline made it by her side first.

"I'm trying Mom, he wants to come out but he also seems to be afraid," Marge replied with a heavy sigh.

"It's alright sweety, we are with you every step of the way," Jacqueline said as she stroked her daughters hand.

"How long has it been any way? I've kind of lost track of time." Marge asked with a small chuckle.

"Almost fourteen hours, its eight in the morning now," Clancy said.

Marge winced as another contraction hit her head on. It hurt her, but they seemed to be less painful thanks to the morphine they had given her.

"Would you feel better if we did a C-section?" Artie asked.

"If it gets the baby out faster," Marge said with a sigh as she closed her eyes again to rest. "Is Homer still here?"

"Yeah, we let him stay since he did help," Clancy said as he moved aside to let Homer come through.

Homer walked forward toward Marge, the girl he had fallen in love with since high school, the very same girl who belonged to someone else now, the girl who was trying her hardest to bring a child into the world. He could not stand seeing the state she was in, she looked terrible, almost like she was at deaths door and that she and the baby would not survive. Tears began forming in his eyes as Marge smiled back at him, happy that he had stayed around to help.

"Thank you Homer," Marge said with a sigh.

"You're welcome Marge, don't give up okay?" Homer said through the tears. His words were so moving that Artie himself began to cry, of course it was also thanks to the guilt he was feeling over Olivia and the other child that was coming his way, but he kept his mouth shut. They had enough to worry about at the moment. He had been waiting for this day, but was not expecting it to turn out like this and he was starting to get a little worried. Perhaps he should have been more prepared.

"I won't, I promise," Marge said with a smile before suddenly sitting up and letting out a loud cry of alarm. "It's coming this time! I know it is! This is it!"

The entire family let out a surprised gasp as the nurses took their places including one who had to be at the business end where the baby came out. She looked down before letting out a happy smile."You're right, Mrs. Ziff, I can see it crowning!"

"Oh thank God, come on Marge, you can do it, bring little AJ into the world for us!" Artie replied with excitement.

The family and Homer waited on baited breath as Marge was finally bringing the little guy out into the world, this time it wasn't long at all, only several minutes before everyone heard the sound they had been waiting for since the evening before. The loud cry of a brand new baby. At that sound, Marge sighed heavily and lay back on the pillow, tears of joy forming in her eyes at the fact that she was now a mother. Artie ran forward and hugged her tightly before kissing her softly on the forehead.

"We did it sweetheart," he said happily, tears in his eyes as well.

The doctor held up the wailing child and looked at it for a moment before turning to Marge and Artie."Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Ziff. You are now the proud parents of a healthy baby girl."

* * *

A/N: Dun dun dunnnnnnnn, no that is not a typo. That is all I have to say, now review before I get all pissy and junk. Oh wait that reminds me. When you review, please tell me what you liked about this story. No, "This chapter was great" it's boring to me and I would like to know what parts you liked. So yeah, now that's all I have to say.


	31. Artie's Anger

The wailing of the brand new baby was the only sound that could be heard in the hospital room. Everyone had fallen silent from surprise at what the doctor had just said. Had they all been hallucinating from lack of sleep, or was the child in the doctors hand really a brand new girl? Truthfully, it didn't matter to Marge's parents, and Marge didn't actually care either. She just wanted the baby to be healthy and happy, that's all that mattered to her. She had fought hard to bring the new child into the world and no matter what, she did not want to be disappointed. If it was a girl, it was a girl, there was no turning back on that. She felt great pride in the fact that the baby finally arrived, and now all she wanted to do was hold it.

"There's got to be a mistake," Artie suddenly blurted out.

"How can there be if I am looking right at it and seeing that clearly it is a girl," the doctor said as he brought it over to a nearby table to cut the umbilical cord. "And as the father, you get the chance to help me do this."

Artie stared at the child as it cried on the table, it's tiny hands clenched tightly, it's legs moving back and forth as if it was trying to swim, and its toothless mouth wide open and letting out that hideous wail that would not go away any time soon. This was not right, not right at all. He was told months ago that the child was definitely going to be a male, but there before him, was a little girl and as he stared at her, he felt no connection with her and began to back away nervously.

"Artie my boy! You are now a father, how do you feel about that?" Clancy asked with a smile.

Artie remained silent but continued to stare as the doctor disinfected the area where the umbilical cord used to be. He really did not know what to do at this point, he was actually more worried than anything. It was all Olivia's fault, she made him feel this way. He wanted a boy to show how much he loved Marge and how much he wanted to be by her side, instead it was a girl. With his luck, Olivia would have a boy and he would have no choice in the matter once the child was born. He could not believe he had a conversation about this only fifteen hours before, it felt like a cruel joke.

"You said, it would be a boy according to your ultrasound," Artie said with a hint of anger in his voice.

"I am well aware of that Mr. Ziff, but sometimes we do make mistakes. We probably saw something that looked very similar to the boy anatomy. It's an honest mistake and you should still be proud," the doctor said as he handed Artie the child.

Artie stared at the little girl that the doctor was handing to him. She was not crying as much any more and was slowly adjusting to the idea of no longer being in her mothers womb. She was a beautiful little girl, what little hair she had was in curls, a trait given to her by both her mother and father. She had her mother's nose and her eyes were so blue that it was almost hypnotizing. But because of all the stress Artie had been going through, he just couldn't hold it. After a moment of staring at the crying baby, Artie backed away and ran outside.

"Artie?" Marge called out worriedly.

"Don't worry about it Marge, he'll realize that even a little girl is important," Clancy said with a smile as he watched the doctor hand the baby over to her.

Marge took her brand new baby, her brand new little girl that took forever to show her face to the world. But that was okay, because in the end it was worth it. All that straining and pain to bring the baby out into the world brought about this tiny little creature that she hugged tightly in her arms. By now the baby was only crying softly, it's tiny hands and legs moving back and forth as if it was getting used to the idea of living in a world where a cramped space was just a memory. Homer was still in the room, but he remained silent as he watched Marge stare down at her new baby. She looked so proud and happy and the more he watched her, the more he wished he could be the father, because if he were Artie he would be right next to her, savoring the moment. He didn't care either if Marge looked like she had just gone to hell and back, she still looked just as beautiful.

"So since AJ's out of the question, what will you name her?" Homer asked.

"Well...I always loved the name Lisa, its so poetic and beautiful, just like she is," Marge said proudly.

Homer only smiled, what a perfect name for such a sweet little thing. He never actually imagined Marge having a child until now, and the more he watched her hold Lisa the more he realized what a wonderful mother Marge would be. Now if only Artie would find some sense and come in and be the father that he should be they would be on easy street. Either Artie must have had a bad day or he was acting Chinese and wanted a boy to pass on the family genes. Either way, he needed to be with his wife, hopefully he would realize that sooner or later.

"Well Marge, not only am I glad this pregnancy was successful but I was able to live to see you give me a grandchild. I hope I get to watch her grow for a few more years," Clancy said with a sigh. He was tired, he had been up all night like everyone else, but he was not about to stop what he was doing quite yet. He probably needed to talk some sense into Artie once things began to die down.

"And we're aunts," Patty said happily.

"I think I'll spoil her," Selma said with a grin.

"Not if I do it first," Patty replied.

"Hrphm, we'll just see about that when the presents arrive," Selma said.

Marge could only smile at her older sisters antics. But as the excitement died down, she began to wonder where Artie had slipped off to. Did he just leave the hospital to who knows where? Or was he just nearby skulking because he did not get what the doctor had promised? Whatever the reason, Marge wished he was there to make her feel happy and to greet his new daughter, she knew that once he held her, that he would forget that he wanted a boy and would be so happy to see the brand new baby alive and well.

It wasn't for another fifteen minutes before Artie finally appeared. He quietly walked in and stood on the other side of the room, staring back at Marge with a look on his face that was neither happy nor sad. But rather disappointed and unhappy.

"Have you finally returned to see Lisa?" Clancy asked.

"Not really, I'm just upset that the doctors lied to me," Artie said with anger in his voice.

"We didn't lie to you Mr. Ziff, we simply read the ultrasound wrong," the doctor replied.

Artie let out a sigh and stared at the floor for a long time before looking up again at the family. "My hopes have been dashed..."

"No they haven't, you have a healthy little girl," Clancy said, Artie simply ignored him.

"My hopes have been dashed, I wasn't given a boy like I was supposed to. Things aren't turning out the way they should be. I was so ready for little AJ to show himself, he would be as smart as me and just as amazing as me. But instead we get this one, this pink creature that I'm just not ready for," Artie replied.

"How can you not be ready, Lisa is a baby just like she would have been if she was a boy, what difference doesn't it make?" Clancy asked.

Artie stared at Clancy angrily, what kind of excuse could he give to his father in law. Nothing that sounded truthful unless he told him about Olivia. He wasn't going to do that now, not when enough was going on. "...It doesn't matter," Artie said hoping that his secret would not slip out.

"Yes it does, why they hell are you so upset about this?" Clancy asked.

"Because I wanted a freaking boy that's why! Is that too much to ask!" Artie yelled in Clancy's face. Sending Clancy backward into a chair where he had to catch is breath from the shock of being yelled at by his son in law.

"Geeze Artie calm down, I was only asking," Clancy said as he began to cough a little.

"I will not calm down! The doctors lied to me! And now...!" Artie cried out. But he couldn't explain anymore, not unless he let his tongue slip and told them what was really going on in his life. He couldn't do that, not right now, not yet. He had just about enough of being around everyone and was ready to walk out again and stay away from his wife when Homer suddenly grabbed him by the scruff of his collar and slammed him against the wall. Homer had kept quiet for as long as he could, but enough was enough, Artie needed to stop acting like a baby and be happy that his wife had a child at all.

"Listen here you ungrateful bastard! You're wife just went through the most difficult thing anyone can ever go through in her life. Fourteen hours! Fourteen hours of freaking labor and what do you do when the baby finally arrives? You complain that it's not what you wanted! That's not what you are supposed to do Artie! It's not like a bad order at a restaurant, you can take that back. This is your child that was born, something you can't change, you should be proud that she is healthy and alive. You should be happy that Marge made it out okay. And you should grow the hell up!"

Homer was now steaming with rage as he held Artie against the wall, never taking his hands off the man who he hated for so many years. Never in his life did he want to teach this man a lesson about compassion and love. What was going on was so important to Artie, if something at work was troubling him, he needed to not worry until later. This child was more important than anything in the world, at least in Homer's eyes.

"Let go of me!" Artie yelled as he tried to kick Homer.

"No! Not until you listen to me! You're wife is someone who I have cared about ever since I laid eyes on her. I tried to get her to fall in love with me, but you won that game and I learned to deal with it over time. But then after all these years, I run into you guys again, I work near your wife cleaning the school, I say hello to her, but that is as far as I will go because I know she is yours. But when she needs help and you were not there for it, I helped her and I could only stay on the sidelines as you stayed beside her while the baby is born. And then when it finally arrives, you act like it should not be yours. Even after that long, hard labor she had to go through, all you care about is the baby's gender. If that were my child, I would be happy that the poor thing made it out okay, who cares what gender it is as long as it's healthy. Now hold your child or face my wrath!"

Homer then shoved Artie forward toward Marge as angrily as he could. Artie stood in front of him, getting his balance back after finally being released from Homer's clutches. Finally once he felt stable enough, he turned back to Homer and punched him as hard as he could on the cheek. The sudden attack sent Homer falling to the ground in surprise and pain where he clutched his hurt eye and looked up at Artie surprised. He was not surprised that Artie had punched him, but more surprised that Artie could be that strong.

"Get out!" Artie said angrily.

"Not until you hold your child!" Homer said.

"I am the father of that child, I am also the leader of what is going on and as the leader, I want you out of here right now! Before I call the cops!" Artie said as he pointed toward the door.

Homer looked over at the family, hoping that maybe they would back him up. Clancy only shook his head in regret, while Patty and Selma simply looked down at the floor, pretending nothing happened. Jacqueline let out a heavy sigh, but said nothing, she could not argue with Artie.

"I'm sorry Homer, but Artie is right, you better go." marge said sadly.

"But he..." Homer began.

"I'll have a talk with him," Marge said in a very calm voice.

Homer slowly got up off the floor, wiped himself down, and quietly walked out without saying a word. He tried, he really did, but because he was not part of the family, he had lost and now had to leave before anything happened. Marge was going through enough stress, he did not need to add more to it. Ignoring his throbbing eye and the many curious onlookers, he walked down the many hallways of the hospital until he made his way to the garage and to his car. He got in and revved up the engine, but he could not find himself to back up and leave. Instead he stared at the wall in front of him and let the tears fall down his face.

* * *

Artie stared down at his brand new daughter as he held her in his arms. Once Homer left, Artie reluctantly took the child while the rest of the family remained silent, hoping that maybe he would change his mind about how he felt about having a girl. He did have a warm feeling the longer he held her, but in his mind he also remembered what Olivia told him and it made him very nervous. The baby was two weeks early, perhaps he could keep the baby's birth a secret without her knowing. He knew that if Olivia found out, things would get very bad for Artie and his marriage really quick. If it had been a boy, Olivia would not hint to anyone that Artie was cheating on her. If it was a girl, Olivia would break the silence and tell everyone about the secret love affair and that the child she as carrying was Artie's. It just wasn't fair, and yet the child he was holding him seemed to make him feel calmer and more relaxed. Yes that was it, he would not tell Olivia for a few weeks.

"Are you proud of her yet?" Marge asked worriedly.

"I will admit, she does grow on you," Artie said with a smile.

"Why did you get so mad though?" Marge asked trying to keep the problem quiet since they were in a hospital and she was way too tired to get into any kind of argument.

Artie looked up at Marge and saw the worry in her eyes, it was so hard not to stay so upset when he looked into those eyes because he did care about her. Olivia was making it difficult for him though because he did have feelings for her too. If only Olivia was not pregnant perhaps she would be out of his life forever. He knew he had to say something that sounded partly true.

"...Bad day at work."

"And having a girl is just as bad as work I see," Clancy said.

Artie glared at Clancy, never before had they had this much friction between them. Clancy never had any boys, but he was never worried about it because he had his family and he loved them just as well. Artie of course was not as family oriented as it was meant to believe. He actually liked to work and stay busy, but he still cared for Marge and still wanted to be with her. It was just a shock that the baby was a girl, just as shocking as changes around the office.

"Well it is a shock, kind of like something like that happening at work. But please get off my back about it," Artie said.

"Only if you promise to love and care for this child as long as you live," Clancy said in a very stern voice.

Artie looked down at his daughter, she stared back at him curiously before falling asleep in his arms. She really was precious, how could he not say yes, especially if it was at this moment in time? He was a father now, he had to be proud no matter what the circumstances.

"I promise," Artie said with a sigh.

"Very good then, you better keep that promise or I will come after you," Clancy said as he pointed a finger at Artie.

"Yes Sir," Artie said in a way that felt both tired and defeated. It was going to be a hard couple of months.

"Did you really have to kick out Homer Simpson though?" Marge asked after a few moments of silence.

"He's not supposed to be here, he isn't family, he never will be. He's always had a thing for you and I think he was trying to get to you by taking you to the hospital," Artie said.

"Artie he accepted the fact that you are mine, I really don't think he was trying anything," Marge replied.

"You never know," Artie said with a growl in his voice. It was his way of saying that even talking about Homer Simpson was not something he tolerated.

"He helped your wife though, you should be grateful," Clancy said.

"I am grateful, and grateful that he is gone too, now let's drop the subject and talk about what to name the baby," Artie said.

"It's Lisa, and you don't understand the issue that went on for Homer today, he is very sensitive and I can tell that helping me out made him feel better. But when you told him to leave, well you can tell that he won't be happy for a while," Marge said.

"Oh he'll get over it, he's a big boy. Knowing him in a few hours, all of this will be forgotten and he will be happy again," Artie said.

Artie did not realize how wrong he was.

* * *

A/N: Well this chapter did not turn out like I hoped, but still I finally got it done after a busy weekend. I hope everyone thought it was okay, the next chapter is going to get a bit interesting, if you haven't noticed, it involves Homer so yeah be on the lookout. And I got more reviews than usual last time, so yay thank you everyone and welcome to the story newslove, thank you for the review. So yay review! Any way see you all soon.


	32. Alone

It was three in the afternoon. Homer had not moved from his bed since he arrived there earlier that morning. During that entire time he did so, he drifted off to sleep for only two hours before waking up again and remembering what had gone on hours before. He felt miserable and sad, while a throbbing pain from where he had been punched by Artie still lingered, his eye was definitely black and blue. The more he thought about Marge and how Artie acted when he discovered the child was a girl, the more he wished he could do more about it. He wondered if Marge really loved Artie now and he wondered how the child would grow up. Would Artie shape up and be a good father? It was hard to tell. All he knew was that he could not sleep and that he needed to get up and at least get something to eat. But he wasn't actually hungry, he was thirsty. But the thirst he had was not to rehydrate himself, he wanted to drown his sorrows out. It was time to go to Moe's.

Slowly he got up from his bed and went to his chest of drawers where he stared at himself in the mirror for a moment. His hair was a mess and some extra stubble was coming in, but that didn't really matter because he was going to Moe's, not a classy enough place to bother making himself look presentable. Quickly, he changed into something comfortable and then slowly walked down the stairs where his father was once again watching TV. His father had given him six months to live with him, but the six months had been up a long time ago and Abe never bothered to kick him out. Homer never knew why but he was okay with that, it was free rent any way.

As soon as Homer opened the door, he was greeted by cold and misty air. It was foggy, but not too foggy. But what did it matter to him? If it was snowing he would be driving to Moe's, he just wanted to be among friends and maybe talk about the situation with them. He revved up his car, let it warm up for a minute while he watched the fog roll around before finally backing out.

Moe's new bar was definitely not as great as his old one in Key West. For one thing, not many people showed up to hang out there. The outside always looked dank and unfriendly, that assumption was usually correct. The lighting was not the best and Moe was usually grumpy, mainly due to the fact that customers were few and far between and it frustrated Moe to no end. He missed the good old days in Key West, the fishing, the friends, and the atmosphere. It was so different for him here and everyone could see his change in mood. But his friends never stopped visiting him and were usually happy to keep him company at the lonely bar.

It wasn't long before Homer pulled into the tiny parking lot on the side of Moe's, there were about six cars there and he recognized four of them. Barney's, Lenny's, Carl's, and Moe's. Two others that he did not know were there. Which was a good thing, especially for Moe to stay in business. Quietly, Homer made his way through the fog and into the bar. As soon as he opened it, the small group of friends he knew looked up from staring down at their beers and greeted Homer.

"Hey, it's Homer!" Barney said happily.

"Haven't seen you around here much lately," Lenny said.

"I see someone got into a fight there, I would hate to see how the other guy came out," Moe said as he noticed the his bruised eye and began pouring a glass for him. "The drinks on me, just for doing that."

"Thanks Moe, I didn't win though," Homer said as he sat down, Moe quickly grabbed the beer back from him.

"Then you pay like everyone else," Moe replied.

"Fine by me," Homer shrugged before Moe returned the glass. Homer began to drink it and after three quick gulps, the beer was now half empty.

"So what happened?" Carl asked.

"I saved Marge Ziff's life. She went into labor at the college. I drove her to the hospital. And what do I get in return? A punch in the face for protecting her after Artie gets all pissy about it being a girl," Homer replied before taking another big gulp of beer.

"Wait a minute...are you saying you got punched in the face by Artie Ziff?" Moe asked. Homer gave him a weak nod without looking up from his drink. "You Homah Simpson? One of my best fisherman, defeated by a dumbass poindexter?"

"Yeah, pathetic isn't it," Homer said sadly.

"You're damn right it is! Why if I was you, I wouldda punched him back and then threw him down the hospital garbage disposal," Moe said as he was clenching his fists and pretending to box.

"Yeah Homer, you could have a least spit on him or something after he punched you," Lenny said.

"Yeah I know, but I was too heartbroken to really care. I mean all he kept saying was that it was a mistake and that the doctors promised him a boy. But it's not a mistake, he was the one who caused it. He should have been happy it was alive and well," Homer said.

"Eh not all people are passionate Homah. They go through life getting what they want, and then they are still unhappy about it," Moe said.

"Yeah true, but I just feel terrible for Marge, she even sided with him too and told me to go! I really could not fight back, I probably would have been brought to jail," Homer said as he finished his glass and asked for another.

"And besides, Marge had gone through enough with the pregnancy that she didn't need more stress. So you did the right thing, but could have also tried to fight back more just to show him who's boss," Carl said.

"Yeah I know," Homer said with a sigh as he stared out into the distance before taking a swig of his beer.

"Eh but you don't need to worry about that no more, let's just drink up and have a nice evening," Moe said hoping to cheer Homer up.

"Yeah, I'll bet Artie will get over it and things will be fine," Carl said.

"I hope so, that little girl was just so cute. She had her mothers looks mostly, I think her hair will be like her fathers though. And I hope she will be intelligent like her father, but not like him in every way. God that would be depressing," Homer said with a sigh before rubbing his sore eye.

"Well if she's smart, she will be like her mother and not be a jerk like her father," Moe said.

"I hope so, I really don't see what Marge ever saw in him. She said he was a gentleman, but I never saw it. I guess girls see gentlemen differently. Jenna said I was one once but that was during valentines day when you should have treated her right. …...God I miss Jenna," Homer said as tears began to fall.

"We all miss what we left behind, it sucks but hey at least we have the memories," Moe said with a shrug.

Homer said nothing and let out a sigh. Even though he was among friends now, he still felt miserable. He helped Marge get to the hospital, but what did he have to show for it? Nothing but a black eye and no thank you from Artie. Sure Marge was grateful, but when would he be able to have coffee with her without Artie getting angry. He wanted to be friends with her, to know more about little Lisa and how she was growing. But he knew that if he talked to her, he would wish things would be different. He needed to accept the fact that Marge never loved him and that she was Artie's. He needed to accept the idea that he had to find someone else to love and forget about Marge, but he knew that was impossible. He had thought about her for six years even ending a relationship because of it.

Jenna. He missed her so much, he wished she was still with him, they probably would be married by now if that night did not happen. Maybe Jenna would be pregnant too, they would have kids and he would be happy. But instead he was in a dank bar, surrounded by friends who really didn't understand his problem. He just wanted Jenna or even Marge to be there to talk to him. Maybe he could talk to Jenna, but would she want to talk to him? That was a question that was now bothering him and he wondered if he could still get a hold of her, just to talk to her for a few hours. She knew him better than anyone, and just talking to her would probably make him feel better. But could he contact her at all?

"Alright Homah, I really think you had enough now," Moe said rather suddenly as he returned from his moment of thinking.

Homer stared at Moe, then at his beer glass, it was empty now and he could have sworn he only had three glasses of beer before Moe called him out.

"How did I have enough, I've only had three," Homer said.

"No you've had ten," Moe replied as he took the glass away and began to clean it.

Homer looked around at the guys, but only Barney was still there. How in the world did that happen? Did he daydream that much? He did feel lightheaded now and he didn't realize he was thinking so hard.

Wait...how long have I been here?" Homer asked.

"About six hours. All you've been doing is sit there and drink your beer looking sad and depressed. I say you should head on home now and get some sleep," Moe said.

Homer said nothing, Moe was right, he hadn't had a decent sleep in more than twenty-four hours. He needed his sleep. But first he knew he had to see if he could contact Jenna.

* * *

Homer had no idea how he got home safely, all he knew was that a moment later he was in his room staring at his phone and wondering if the number he had on his nightstand was the same number Jenna still had. Perhaps she had changed it long ago and the number belonged to someone else. But it was always good to try, he just wanted to hear her voice again and hopefully it would be her.

Slowly, he dialed the number. It was more difficult than normal thanks to his inebriation, but he was able to get it right and before long the phone was ringing. Homer held his breath hoping that he had the right number. After four rings, he heard the other person on the line pick up and a familiar voice answer the phone.

"Hello?" Jenna said curiously.

Homer smiled, it was her, she still had the same number and he had dialed it correctly. He was so happy that he forgot he needed to speak. He only stood there waiting for her to talk again.

"Hello?" Jenna said again this time in a more annoyed voice. That's when Homer realized he needed to respond.

"Jenna! It's me," Homer replied.

"I'm sorry, who is this?" Jenna asked. Homer let out a frown, it had been so long, she didn't recognize his voice. It was almost heartbreaking but he remained strong and spoke up.

"Jenna, it's Homer," Homer said with a hiccup.

"Homer! Why are you calling?" Jenna asked worriedly.

"Well I...I just wanted to talk to...to you, it's long...I mean, it's been a long time," Homer said as his speech slurred.

"Wait a minute, how many beers did you have tonight?" Jenna asked.

"Not as you might think...uh...as many," Homer replied.

"Homer, I know you had more than enough, I can hear it in your voice," Jenna said before getting ready to hang up on Homer.

"Jenna! Don't...don't hang up. I-I n-need someone to...to talk to," Homer said as he tried his hardest to sound desperate.

"Oh I'm sure you're alright, like I've said, you've had one too many beers," Jenna said.

"I'm n-not Jenna, I-I helped M-M-Marge last n-night," Homer said.

"That was very kind of you, I'm sure she had to appreciate it," Jenna said.

"She...she did, A-Artie di-didn't," Homer said in a voice that sounded a little angry.

"Well of course not, he is her husband after all," Jenna said in a way that sounded convincing, like she understood his problems. He was probably acting because of all the drinking, but she knew she had to humor him.

"H-he got angry...because he was promised a boy," Homer said sadly.

"Oh no! Did the child die?" asked Jenna.

"No, it-it was a g-girl," Homer said.

"Oh, well...how angry was he?" Jenna asked. Now things were getting interesting and now she was willing to listen to all he had to say.

"H-he wouldn't h-hold her, h-he just sneared and com-complained, h-he said he wanted a b-boy," Homer replied tears were now falling down his face.

"He'll get over it, once he sees how beautiful she is, he will love her until the day he dies," Jenna said.

"I s-sure hope s-so, M-Marge should never be treated th-that way, she is a-a w-wonderful person who I-I care t-too much about," Homer said. He knew he probably could not say it in front of Jenna but he was so tired and so upset right now that he just needed a friendly voice that told him things would be alright.

"Don't worry Homer, she is in very good hands," Jenna said in the best reassuring voice she could muster.

I-I just h-hope s-so, h-he was so angry, I-I wanted to p-punch him. H-he can't be like that after s-such a l-long labor," Homer said with a sigh.

"Some people just act differently, I'm sure everything will be fine. And I think it's best you moved on and let Marge and Artie live a happy life. It sounds like you need to get some rest too," Jenna said.

"Yeah, b-but what about you, h-how are y-you?" Homer asked hoping to keep the conversation longer. He just wanted to talk to someone, he didn't care any more if he was exhausted or not.

"I'm alright, college has been a hassle, but I'm hanging in there," Jenna said nervously. She wanted to get off the phone, but knew that Homer would probably dial again.

"W-Would you ever want m-me back?" Homer asked.

Jenna paused for a moment, she had no idea how to answer that for him. She still cared about him, but not in the way he wanted. It had been so long and the truth about him thinking about Marge the entire time still upset her. It had been long enough too that she started seeing other people, and that other person was in the apartment with her and wondering why she was still on the phone.

"Jenna, what's taking you so long, the movie will be on any second now," a voice in the background called out.

"I'll be there in a minute, Josh," Jenna said.

"Who's that?" Homer asked worriedly. Jenna did not respond right away, she remained silent for the longest time before Homer called to her again. "Jenna?"

"Homer...you need to move on okay, find someone who will make you happy, you had your chance with me but what you did hurt me on the inside. So please, just move on and find your happiness," Jenna said.

"B-but you were my happiness," Homer said sadly.

Jenna paused for a moment, unable to respond back with his sad reply. She felt terrible for him, she really did. But she couldn't rush over to him, they were thousands of miles away, and she was in love with someone else.

"Jenna!" Josh said as he entered the room where she was talking on the phone.

"An old friend just needs to talk to me," Jenna replied.

Josh grumbled under his breath and held his hand out to talk to the other person on the line. Jenna reluctantly gave it to him hoping the conversation would not get too rough.

"Who is this?" Josh asked.

"Homer, h-her old boyfriend," Homer said worriedly.

"Ah I heard about you, you sounded like a great guy until you messed everything up. You trying to make amends with her?" Josh asked.

"Yeah sort of, but I can s-see you've t-taken her heart," Homer replied, he was really too tired to argue.

"I have, it's been a great couple of months," Josh said in a very optimistic tone.

"Well please do-do me a favor and d-don't ever break her h-heart like I did, you will regret it. Just t-take care of her and b-be a wonderful boyfriend, that's all I ask. If I h-hear that you hurt her, then things will get really bad r-really quick," Homer said as tears ran down his face.

"Of course my friend, don't worry I wold never harm someone like her," Josh said in a very sincere voice.

"Thanks," Homer replied with a sigh.

"Any time. Listen we need to go, a really good movie is starting," Josh said.

"Alright, have a good night then," Homer replied. He waited until Josh hung up first before he even put the phone down. In fact, he kept the phone to his ear for a good minute before finally setting it down and looking at the floor.

He felt so miserable at the moment. Jenna had moved on, accepting her life with someone else. He wondered if Josh loved what Jenna loved and if he had ever met Mick. Of course he probably had, Mick seemed to keep the guys she dated in line, or at least made sure they were treating her well. Now if only he could move on like Jenna he would be happy. He did try though, that was the important thing, Emily just wasn't his style.

But would he ever find someone as amazing as Marge and Jenna? He had heard the expression "There are plenty of fish in the sea," but if there really were, how come he always came up empty? What was he doing wrong? It must be the way he held himself, the way girls saw him that made them turn away. That seemed to be the correct reason. If only he knew how to fix that, his friends probably would not be much of a help. They had tried before, mainly Roger, but he wasn't hanging with Homer any more and apparently, according to Moe any way, abandoned the house in Key West and skipped town to some unknown place. Barney, never found any one either, but he seemed okay with that, he seemed married more to Lady Duff. An unhealthy habit, but it made him happy and it wasn't easy for him to leave it. Moe was the same way, only his bar made him happy, even though it was a smelly stink hole, one that was definitely a few stars down from his old place.

Marge seemed to be happy with Artie, even though he had to be a complete ass about the whole situation with the baby. She was probably snuggling and kissing it right now, keeping little Lisa warm and happy next to her. Had Artie finally given in and accepted her as a girl? He sure hoped so, no man should ever hate their child for being who they were. He created the baby, so really it was his fault, the sperm got to the egg first and he needed to accept that. He just wished he could find out if everything was okay, but he knew he was banned from being near any of them, well at least for a few weeks until Marge recooperated from the pregnancy.

But would he be happy at all? Would he find someone just as wonderful and fun as Marge and Jenna were. At the moment, it just felt hopeless and frustrating to even think about. He wanted someone to talk to, someone to hug and snuggle with. Someone who would understand him, but unfortunately, no one was there. He was alone in the world, he had to fight his own battles.

But these battles did not feel easy at all, he wanted another drink. He just wanted to drown his sorrows out. Of course that would not make it go away, it would only make him more miserable. But suddenly he remembered something. Back when he first started high school, his father bought a gun, mainly for protection, it had been hiding at the top of the cupboard in the kitchen ever since. Well at least he thought so, if it was still there, that's how he would solve his problem.

Quietly, he made his way down the steps of his fathers house. Abe was up, but was watching an old western on TV. Good, he would be distracted, he would not know what was going on until it was too late. Homer walked right by him and into the kitchen where he felt around at the top of the cupboard for the box that held the Smith and Wesson .38 hand gun. For a moment, he came up with nothing, until he reached the very end and found the box. Quickly he grabbed the box and brought to the light in the kitchen. The box was dusty from not being used at all, proof that where Abe lived, life was easy and no robberies had occurred. Proof that the gun had not been used yet, until tonight.

He opened the box, and there before the red velvet lining lay the Smith and Wesson, a perfectly crafted gun, still shiny and very lethal. Homer stared at it for a moment, making sure that what he was about to do was the right move. He couldn't think of anything good happening at all for his future. Nothing to make him happy, he had a dead end job, no one who cared for him and he just felt miserable. Yes, life would be better without Homer J. Simpson.

Carefully, he picked up the gun, it was cold to the touch and felt very clean, it had never been used, it was only for protection, but for the first time, it would be used for something more sinister, something more cowardly. But Homer did not care, he could not take his sadness any longer. After he held it for a few minutes, he knew it was best not to hesitate. Carefully he found the perfect spot on his temple where he could end his life, he steadied it for just a moment, and then pulled the trigger.

* * *

A/N: Bahahahaha, Cliffhanger!

And holy crap! I was not expecting all those reviews in my last chapter! Where did all you people come from? Where have you all been in the past few months when I needed you all? Oh well thank you any way, especially to kkman57 for giving me my 200th review. I was actually not expecting to get one until this chapter, so it was a nice pleasant surprise. Actually, thank you to everyone who reviewed, you are all so awesome. I know you will all probably be so mad at me for this chapter but I do have about six more to go. So don't give up on me yet.

Also if anyone is interested, I decided to make a facebook account for my fanfiction and Deviant Art friends. So if anyone wants to follow me and read my random statuses with updates on when a chapter might be done, feel free to friend me. Just tell me your name on here or DA when you ask to be my friend, just so I know who you are. My name is Narfy Toon. So yeah I would love to be your friend.

Any way please review and I will hopefully have a new chapter up soon.


	33. Memories From Dad

It was late and Abe was ready for a good nights sleep. The movie he just watched was finally over, it wasn't the greatest in the world but it kept his interest long enough to keep him up. Now the time was right to go to bed, but first, a glass of warm milk to help him fall asleep. Slowly he got up off his easy chair and made his way to the kitchen just in time to see Homer, his back turned to him, and a gun pointed at his head.

"Homer!" Abe yelled.

Homer jumped in surprise just before he fired, causing the barrel to be moved to a different angle. Thankfully no longer at his head and more toward the ceiling above. Seconds later, pieces of ceiling fell down his head like snow while Homer only stood there for a moment, dumbfounded.

"What the hell are you doing?" Abe asked angrily.

Homer stared at the gun for a moment, it still looked might friendly right now and was almost willing to try one more time, this time in front of his father. But then again he would intercept him and probably miss once again. He could shoot his father too, but he only wanted to kill himself, everyone else had a reason for being there, he didn't.

"I was...um...I...um," Homer began before suddenly bursting into tears. "I just can't take it any more Dad!"

"Janitor work finally getting to you huh?" Abe asked.

"No Dad! My life sucks! No one loves me! I have no one to talk to about my problems! My job does suck but that's the least of my problems, at least I get something out of that. I'm just a failure! A freaking failure!" Homer said as the tears fell down his face.

"Now son..." Abe began.

"I know nothing good will ever come from me! I will never find someone to love! I thought I did once, but I didn't! So now I'm stuck living with you and I have nothing to show for my future. I-I just can't do this any more, everyone will be better off without me. Once the funeral is over, they will forget that I was ever a part of them," Homer said as he stared at the gun thinking about trying to shoot one more time.

Abe stood there, surprised by Homer and how he felt. He had been so wrapped up in his own problems that he never actually noticed how miserable his own son was. They rarely talked to each other and Abe just went about his normal routine. He never stopped to ask how his sons day was or if he was doing okay. Now he was standing there in front of him, watching him stroke his old Smith and Wesson. He could very well let his son go right ahead and off himself, but then again he had seen these things happen when he was younger and in the army and they were hard to get out of his mind. No, he had to stop this, he had to coax his son back to reality in the best way he could, even if it meant staying up all night with him.

"Homer, I can't forget about you, I took care of you on my own through all these years. That's something that's hard to forget," Abe said.

"Yeah well, now you have to take care of me again, I'm twenty-four Dad! I'm too old for you to be taking care of me. It's just not right," Homer said with a sigh.

"That's true, but that's only because you never actually wanted to go far. Have you ever thought about college?" asked Abe.

"Yeah, Jenna wanted me to go with her, I just never thought it would be worth going because I had such a great life in the keys," Homer replied before crying again. Just thinking about Jenna right now made him so upset. He just wanted his life to be over now.

"Well sometimes things can change for the better, it may not seem that way, but you'll see," Abe said.

Homer let out a sigh and looked at his father, he had never talked to him like this before. It did feel a little satisfying to know that his father was showing some compassion, but for some reason it still did not feel like it was going to be fixed. He just wanted out, he just wanted to cry, and for the first time in many years, he wanted his mother there to help him through this. His father just didn't feel like the kind of person for the job especially since he was never really there for him to begin with.

"I just don't see it happening," Homer said sadly.

"Well I do, you need to have faith and confidence. I've seen soldiers just like you who were in this predicament, and I am willing to help. You just need to put the gun down and listen to me," Abe replied calmly.

"Why do you care so much right now?" Homer asked.

"Because I'm your father and I do care. Also cleaning up after a suicide is not something I'm prepared to do this evening," Abe said.

Homer stood there and looked down at the gun. He could finish himself right now and never have to worry again. Or he would listen to his father and his worries would continue, but then again maybe his father had some good advice that he had been hiding away all these years. Things that could have helped him sooner rather than later and that everything would be okay. Perhaps it was best to let his father talk before giving up just yet.

"Okay Dad," Homer sighed as he put the gun on the counter.

Abe moved forward and took the gun away. He walked out of the room for a moment, leaving Homer alone and wondering what his father was up to. It wasn't long when Abe finally returned without the gun and instead had a leather bound photo book in his hands. It was one Homer had not seen before and he wondered what his father was going to tell him. Abe made his way over to the coffee table and sat down before motioning Homer to join him. Homer of course made his way over and sat down close to him, ready to listen and see what he had to say as his father began opening a book.

"Now tell me son, first of all, how did you get that black eye?" Abe asked.

Homer had nearly forgotten about being punched in the face by Artie earlier, his sadness had made the pain disappear. But now that he was thinking about it again, his eye hurt and he touched it before flinching.

"I helped Marge Bouvier to the hospital because she went into labor at the college. It was a very long labor and in the end, it was a girl. Artie, her husband wasn't very happy so I told him that he should be happy about it. He got angry and punched me in the face before kicking me out," Homer said sadly.

"And you say people are better off without you?" asked Abe.

"Yeah?" Homer said.

"But you just helped a young girl, to the hospital. If you didn't she probably would have gone into labor all alone and given birth right there without your help. That is a big thing right there," Abe said.

"I know, but then I got no thanks for it. I was just kicked out for helping. I called Jenna, my old girlfriend, after all this and discovered that she is in love with someone else now. She let me go just like that, we were so close I just don't understand how someone like her can forget someone like me so quickly," Homer said as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Some people are like that unfortunately," Abe said.

"And that's why I don't think I'll ever find anyone. Because no one really cares, I'm just alone out here fighting my own battles and only dreaming of what others can do," Homer said.

"You'll find someone, I know you will," Abe said.

"How do you know?" Homer asked as he blew his nose.

"Because I went through almost the same thing as you," Abe said as he turned the pages of his memory book. "You see that girl right there next to your grandparents?"

"Yeah? What about her?" Homer asked.

"That's Wendy, a girl who stole my heart and then broke it without a second thought," Abe said.

"What happened?" Homer asked as Abe showed him more pictures of him and Wendy, a beautiful young lady with golden curls and a fun loving smile. They seemed so happy together, it was hard to imagine Abe without her while looking at these pictures. But something seemed to change that and Homer was very curious to find out what that was.

"War!" Abe began as he turned the page and revealed himself in uniform. "Here, let me tell you the story."

"It was shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a year ago I graduated high school and I was working as night watchman to the local cranberry silo. It wasn't the best job, but it helped pay for things at home. But after what happened in Hawaii, I decided that protecting my country was important, but that would mean I would be leaving Wendy, my high school sweetheart. But she was all for me fighting the war, just as long as I promised to send her a letter every week until I got back. I was expected to be there for two years, or until the war was over. Once the two years were up, I could come home for a few months and then given the option to go back if the war was not over. I already planned on saying no, since we were engaged and I did not want to leave her."

Homer continued to look at pictures of Wendy and Abe together. They looked so happy and he began to wonder what happened. Wendy wasn't his mother, in fact he was not even born for another fourteen years. He heard his father say he fought in the war until it was over, so what happened made Homer listen more intently.

"My journey to England was an interesting one. We crossed the Atlantic and it took us almost two weeks to do so. We were all so nervous during that time. I remember we would often talk about family and how we would make them proud. But none of us knew if we were able to fight since we were not experienced and had never been in a war. But we all remained brave and when we finally landed, we were so surprised by how bad of shape England was in."

Abe showed Homer pictures of him in England with his fellow soldiers. Many pictures contained old black and white images of him and the boys walking through ruins of churches, houses, and even a school where Abe is helping a fellow soldier take a child to a safe place. Some pictures made his heart break as he saw Abe comforting an older couple who lost their home in the bombings and even helping a young wife and three kids out of the rubble. Where the father was, he did not ask, he did not want to know.

"There was never a day in which I didn't think about Wendy. Every morning I woke up, wondering how she was doing and every night I wondered if she missed me as much as I missed her. I could send her letters, but since I traveled so much and I didn't have a set address, she couldn't write me back. I could only hope she got my messages and I hoped she read and smiled over everyone of them. In fact I still have one right here, I found it about a week after coming back from fighting."

Abe handed Homer a one page letter addressed to Wendy. It was yellowed with age but the writing was still legible and he began to read it.

Dearest Wendy

I'm currently in the south of England near a small town called Canterbury, you may have heard it from The Canterbury Tales, you remember we had to read part of them in English class. Well I remember you said once how magical the place sounded. Well unfortunately, it's not, war is everywhere here and I can only hope all the old ruins will remain after all this. I also hope I can make it out of this as well, I got into a fight with a German yesterday, he tried to ambush me, but Hank was able to finish him off before he could to me. Good old Hank, he's going through such a rough time, he misses his wife. I miss you too, but he's so afraid he won't get out of this. I try to help him stay optimistic though, I know we can get through with this if we have faith. I will admit I'm a little scared though. I do miss you with all my heart, I think about you day and night and I cannot wait to see you again. I hope you feel that way about me, I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I know it will be amazing. Stay strong my love and I will do the same. Only another year before I return, I know it feels long but I know it will go by fast.

I love you so much

Abe.

"I kept telling myself that a year won't be so long, I can make it, nothing bad will happen. But of course I was wrong with the latter. We had reached a small town in the south of England one cold rainy night in August. The towns people told us of some Germans hiding in a nearby church. They said there were only a few and that we could probably get at them easily. Unfortunately, they were mistaken. What we thought to be only ten Germans and twenty of us, turned out to be fifty Germans and only twenty of us. We were outnumbered and held hostage inside the church for nearly three weeks. Five of our men were killed including Hank who tried to fight his way out, only to get several bullets in him before falling over. It was horrible, none of us knew what to do and we thought we were all done for until I came up with a solution."

Homer looked one page that did not have a picture on it, but instead a playing card. It was a king of hearts and a single word written on the bottom of the card. "Frieden." German for "peace."

"Me and another man by the name of Clark played a poker game between two Germans that lasted for four solid days. None of us took our eyes off the cards and by the end, each of us were hallucinating, I swear I saw Wendy standing there, turned out to be one of the younger German soldiers that I kept thinking was a girl. Luckily I didn't try to run after him and kiss him, that would have been embarrassing. But still, we each claimed that we were the best poker players out there and the bet was, if we won, then we could go without incident and they had to leave. If they won, they could keep hold of the town and kill us all. I was very nervous of course, but in the end I was able to beat them and win our freedom and the townsfolk's safety. And because of what happened, we were sent home early."

Homer looked at the next pictures of Abe coming home with a huge smile on his face and greeted by his mother and father. But Wendy was not there.

"I came home in the afternoon, walking as quickly as I could, hoping that Wendy would be waiting for me on the front steps to embrace me. But she wasn't there, only my parents and my brother were waiting for me. Turns out, Wendy gave up waiting and decided to fall in love with the local farmers son. I ran to find her and had a long talk with her about what happened. Turned out, a month before I was taken hostage, my letters stopped coming. She thought I had been killed and she of course grieved until another young man came into her life named Paul. I asked if she would take me back, but she wouldn't have it. Paul was her knight in shining armor now and she didn't want to leave him. I couldn't believe that I'd been cast away like that, that she didn't love me any more and that she got over me just like that. So while I was on leave I kept wishing that I'd lost the poker game and that I were dead, I believed I would never find someone like Wendy ever again."

"So when the time came to go back in the field, I took that opportunity, because I knew no one but my parents were waiting for me to get back. I could get killed and no one would really care. I was willing to die for my country and it would be alright because the one I loved no longer loved me."

Homer stared at the photo's Abe had from his second tour of Europe, this time he was in France fighting alongside the other allies and avoiding the bombs the best way they knew how. He definitely had a different look about him in the pictures. He no longer carried himself the way he did in the others and he looked more determined to get things done and less nervous about the situation. All because the person he loved was not waiting for him back home. That is until he started seeing pictures of him with a French girl in a bar and she was hugging him tightly, Homer stared at her curiously before looking up at Abe with wonder in his eyes.

"That's Sophie, I actually fell in love with her, we met at a French tavern and we really hit it off. I loved the girl and she actually loved me. She didn't speak the best English but she was getting there. We soon became so close that I even promised her that when the war was over, I would take her to America with me and in time, maybe even get married. But it unfortunately did not last."

This time the reason for Abe's lost love was much sadder as Homer saw a picture of Abe standing next to a grave with a single flower in his hand.

"It was those damn Germans again! They ambushed us and took Sophie hostage. Homer if you ever fall in love again, and I know you will, please be careful when danger is about. Make sure that what you are doing is the right move or you will regret it for the rest of your life. I'm not sure what exactly happened, frankly I don't want to know. All I know is, I found myself holding her in my arms after Asa Phelps took down two of the Germans before the rest ran off. She had been shot and I tried to save her, but there was nothing I could do. I could only stay by her until she passed on, and even then I couldn't move, she looked so beautiful even in death and while she just lay there, I wished myself dead too and I almost did. I almost jumped off a cliff the next day until one of the commanding officers in my group named Samuel Flanders brought me back and told me that things will get better, it may not seem like it. But one day I will find someone to love just as much as I loved those two other girls."

Homer looked at the pictures and for the longest time, it was just Abe by himself finishing the war and celebrating with friends when it was over. For a while he only saw pictures of his father with his parents and friends, no girls were in the picture, until finally after four pages, there she was, the familiar face he knew and loved and missed terribly.

"Mona came to me one summer day when the boys and I were out at the local carnival. I had actually given up on love really, Samuel told me it would happen one day, but now I was in no rush and I was really just enjoying life. We actually met up while trying to get a ring through some sort of prize, it's been so long I can't remember. But we laughed about it because neither of us won the stupid game and we got to talking. It wasn't until the next day that I realized how much fun I had with her. Unfortunately I didn't get her number and I thought I would never see her again. For about a month I didn't, but then I ran into her at the local store as she was buying some tomatoes. I asked her if she remembered me and she said yes and that she had been looking for me ever since. So we exchanged phone numbers and got together. But I was not ready for a big commitment, not after Wendy or Sophie."

Homer started to see more and more pictures of his mother with his father, the happiness they shared and the closeness they seemed to have with each other. Yet Abe had no interest in going beyond that, nothing that showed him and his mother getting married. Even when his mother started sporting a baby bump in many of the pictures she was in with him.

"Well that of course changed when you came into the picture. I will admit, you were a very big surprise and I was not ready. In fact, I was still not up for marriage. That didn't happen until you were two. We just let the fact that we were boyfriend and girlfriend with a baby and that we would get married eventually. Your mother was a bit put off by it, but she got over it once it finally happened. I will say, you were a very nerve wracking birth. You took forever to come out, your poor mother was lucky to be alive. I will admit too, those first two years were interesting, and your mother finally won out with the idea of getting married in the end."

Homer saw the pictures of his mother and father getting married, to his surprise, he was also there as the ring bearer. For some reason, he had no memory of this at all, but he did find the idea very cute and could not help but smile at his young self. So full of cute innocence and no problems at all. Soon he saw more picture of him with his mother and father, sometimes Abe looked to be having the time of his life with his sweet son. But sometimes he wasn't in the picture and it was just Homer and Mona side by side. Homer wondered if it was only because Abe wanted to take the picture or if he just didn't want to be seen. Either way, Homer realized how his father seemed to be happier in pictures with Mona.

"Were you upset?" Homer asked.

"What do you mean?" Abe asked as he was turning another page and never taking his eyes off it.

"When Mom died, it must had been hard since you lost two before that," Homer said.

"Not as upset as you would seem," Abe said with a sigh.

"But it looked like you loved her just as much as Wendy and Sophie, I know I would be, especially now that you had me to take care of. But I don't remember actually going to the funeral, I just remember how you told me she was gone," Homer said sadly.

"I did didn't I?" Abe replied before thinking for a moment about what he told Homer long ago. "Well I guess now is a good time to tell you the truth. The reason why you don't remember a funeral is because...well, there was no funeral."

It took a moment for what his father said to sink in and when they did, Homer stared back at his father wide eyed. "You mean...?"

"She's still alive Homer, but her reasons for leaving us was something I didn't fully approve of. What she did was not my style and when she got in trouble for it, I just couldn't bail her out. I had fought in the war for too long to join any hippie movement. She wanted to take you with her, but I told her you would not last one day on the lam. So she did the honorable thing and left you in my care."

"Do you think she'll ever come back?" Homer asked curiously.

"That's for her to decide, I miss her terribly, my sex life is a little dull, and sometimes I've wondered if I should find someone else. That's why I always come home every night because someday I think she will walk through that door and make me the happiest man on earth."

Homer let out a disgusted face. But what Abe was saying really made sense, he had not found love in years thanks to him waiting for the one he loved to come back to him. He had no idea if Jenna would actually do that, but perhaps someone else would, he just had to find her first. She was out there somewhere, waiting for him to sweep her up in his arms and and be the best couple anyone could ever have. When that would happen still remained a mystery though.

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say son?" Abe asked.

"I think so. I just need to find the right person, it just takes time and patience," Homer replied.

"That's right, so don't let one girl get you down. She probably wasn't for you any way. Sometimes the heart plays tricks on you and you gotta move on with your life, even if it does hurt," Abe said as he held his chest to signify how the heart longs for love.

Homer let out a sigh before a single tear fell down his cheek. It was hard to let Jenna and Marge go, but he had to, there was no way around it. Someone else was out there looking, perhaps as miserable as he was at the moment and she probably needed him as much as he needed her.

"You gonna be okay son?" Abe asked.

"Yeah Dad, I think so. Thanks for saving my life, I never knew you actually cared," Homer said as he wiped tears from his eyes.

"Oh I do, I just was never the loving type, that was your mothers job, of course she left too soon for that. That was one thing I was never good at and I should have known right from the start that you would have a few problems, and I should have supported you more. I'm sorry I didn't, you probably would have ended up better. But like I said, you were a big surprise to us," Abe said.

"Yeah I'll bet," Homer said with a sigh.

"And when was the last time you got some sleep, you look exhausted," Abe said.

"It's been a few days truthfully, I haven't slept well since I helped Marge," Homer said.

"Then off to bed with you, things will look better when you wake up and get a full nights rest, I promise you that," Abe said.

Homer nodded and slowly got out of his chair before making his way out of the kitchen and up the stairs to his room. It was time to start fresh, it was time to move on and become a better person. He was glad he had that talk with his father, and even happier his father actually took the time to tell him everything he needed to know. Soon things would turn out better, he just had to be patient and forget about the horrible past he had. It was time to move on to a brighter future, and as he drifted off into his dream world he saw his mother again and even more importantly, he saw a young girl beside him telling him how much she loved him, and that she wanted to be with him forever.

* * *

A/N: Sappy chapter is sappy! So yeah there you go, a nice little dig into the past with Abe. I will admit, while thinking up this idea, I thought how awesome it would be to do a fanfiction about Abe when he was younger. But unfortunately I would make it extremely long and I am of course retiring once this story is over with. I know I would never get it done either. So if anyone is interested in writing something like this let me know. I could help you with the plot and stuff.

Any way I hope you all liked it. Sorry for the long wait, its been an exhausting couple of weeks. I would like to thank Berryfairy again for the honest review and feedback. I like those kinds of reviews because then I know I can make mistakes here and there. Also if you are interested, please facebook me, I am Narfy Toon. And don't worry, I will not stalk you, I will just give you updates on what's going on with me. And please let me know who you are too, just so I know.

Other than that, I hope you all have a nice week and please review.


	34. Coffee talk

Four and a half months had come and gone, in those four months, Homer learned to become more optimistic about his outlook on life and went about working like he always did at the schools. Occasionally he would apply for a job that would help him in the long run including a job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Apparently they needed someone with just a high school diploma to work in certain areas, so far they hadn't called him back, but he remained hopeful that something would turn up. He learned to also be patient in dealing with the fact that he had no one to love. He would eventually get one, it would just take a little while for it to finally happen.

Marge stayed at home with her new baby, she had another teacher take care of the rest of the semester for her, luckily only three weeks had been left so there was not a lot to give to the substitute without overwhelming her. Marge enjoyed her time with her new daughter, she would spend hours just holding her, feeding her, and singing to her as she sat alone in the house. This seemed to become more frequent as the months went on and Marge began to wonder what was going on with Artie. Artie admitted that he did love Lisa, he was just busy at work, but he hoped that sometime soon, he would be brought up in the company and he wouldn't have to worry about being gone all the time, at least that's what Marge hoped.

When Artie was not working he would be spending time with Olivia as the baby grew inside her. Olivia would not let Artie leave from her sight until at least seven in the evening. It was her way of keeping the secret with Artie. As long as he spent a few hours after work with her, she would not spill the beans. Artie knew though that sooner or later the truth would be found out. He had no idea how upset Marge would be, but he dreaded it and he knew it probably would not end well. Because of his time with Olivia, he started to get more attached to her, Marge was simply someone he loved but had lost interest in long before he realized it. It was a sad concept, and he should have realized that before he proposed to her. What the future was going to hold now was a mystery, no matter how it ended though, it was not going to be good.

* * *

It was one afternoon that Marge decided to pay a visit to the school, her friends had all been dying to meet little Lisa. She wanted to get out of the house now that Lisa was a little older, and she hoped she could run into Homer and thank him for helping her out. Hopefully he wouldn't be too afraid to go near her after what Artie did to him. So to make it easy, she bought him a thank you card and a gift certificate to a restaurant chain.

As soon as she entered the school, baby in a newborn stroller, a fellow student saw her and ran right up to her with a smile on her face.

"Hello Mrs. Ziff!" she exclaimed.

"Hello Camilla, how are you today?" Marge asked.

"I'm great! That final you gave us really kicked my butt but somehow I still passed. Will you be coming back to teach at all again? I really liked your classes," Camilla asked.

"Oh I will, next semester, I just need to adjust and take care of my little one here," Marge said as she nodded toward Lisa who was still sound asleep in the buggy.

Camilla looked down at the newborn baby and couldn't help but smile, Lisa looked so precious sleeping in there, nothing was bothering her right now. Hopefully it would stay like that for the rest of the day, of course some of her fellow teachers would want to hold her, but hopefully Lisa would not put up too much of a fuss.

"I thought you were going to have a boy?" Camilla asked.

"I thought so too, but the doctors were wrong. But I'm okay with that, she's beautiful either way," Marge said with a sigh as she looked at her daughter.

"Yeah, she is." Camilla said as she looked back at Lisa for a few more minutes. "Well I better get going, I don't want to be late to class. Can't wait to see you next semester!"

Marge waved goodbye before making her way to the elevator to get to the offices where everyone else was working. Hopefully her surprise visit would make everyone smile.

Homer was busy cleaning in one of the classrooms, enjoying the afternoon as he listened to Billy Joel on the classroom radio. He was so busy with what he was doing, that he did not see Marge walk by with the baby in tow. In a few minutes, he would be done with the classroom and move on to the offices where Marge usually worked. He was going to be in for a very big surprise.

Once he was finally done with the classroom, he put everything away and rolled it down the hall toward the offices, whistling "Still Rock and Roll to Me" as he pulled it along. He instantly stopped though when he saw Marge standing in the hallway with at least five other women standing around her. One lady was bent over and moments later came up with a little bundle of joy in her arms, Marge had brought her daughter to school. It was almost like a show and tell, but for grown ups.

Homer panicked and looked around for a place to work without Marge noticing. Finally he ran into a nearby office just before Marge could see him. He then began to clean and wondered how long he would be in there before Marge left for the day. Apparently he wasn't quiet enough about it because moments later, a familiar face peeked into the room.

"Homer!" Marge said with a smile.

"Oh hi Marge! I uh...oh dear...sorry I didn't know you would be here today. I'll get out of your way as soon as I am done dusting this desk," Homer said nervously, trying not to meet her eyes.

Marge let out a short laugh before moving closer to Homer. "It's okay Homer, I don't mind you being here at all. Artie's not here to stop you, so when you can, come on over and meet Lisa. I don't think you've been properly introduced."

Marge walked out of the room, leaving Homer standing where he was with a very surprised look on his face. She was right about one thing, Artie wasn't around, he could see the child if he wanted to. Marge was never against that, after all, he helped her get to the hospital in time. Quickly he finished dusting a few things here and there in the office before finally heading over to where everyone was standing around to see the brand new miracle that Marge had.

Homer was still very cautious though and simply slipped between two ladies who were discussing why it was not a good idea to give a child chocolate in the first few months of life. He ignored both of them though and looked down at little Lisa. She was awake, but her eyes said she was ready to doze off once again. She kicked with her tiny little feet and then made a short cooing sound. Homer could not help but smile, she looked just like her mother save for the dark curly hair that was beginning to grow more on her tiny little head. He wanted to hold her, but knew it was better to ask Marge first, plus he probably needed to wash his hands after using all the chemicals to clean with.

"Thank you so much Homer," Marge said from behind.

Homer turned around startled. He stared back at Marge, worry still etched in his face. He simply was not prepared to see her today and was so nervous about Artie being nearby. But Marge said he was not there, but what if he suddenly showed up, what then? He tried not to think about it and instead gave Marge a goofy grin.

"I try," he said.

Marge could not help but laugh before handing him an envelope. "Go ahead and take this, it's my thank you card."

Homer quickly took it out of her hands and opened it up to find a nice little card inside along with the gift certificate.

"Oh Marge you didn't have to do that," Homer said.

"Well I felt you deserved it. Also are you doing anything after work?" Marge asked.

"Just hanging out at the bar with the boys for a few hours, why?" Homer asked.

"Well, I think we need to talk about what happened. You wouldn't mind meeting up for coffee would you?" Marge asked.

Ummm...Is Artie okay with that?" Homer asked.

"Artie probably won't be home until very late, and if he was coming home, he doesn't need to know," Marge said with a smirk.

Homer thought about it for a moment. He was really not expecting to see Marge today or even going out for coffee with her for that matter. He knew it was taboo for him to do so, especially if Artie was around. But Marge seemed confident that Artie would not care and that things would be okay. If that was the case, then he might as well go for it.

"Well I get off in about two hours, would you be willing to wait for me then?" Homer asked.

"Sure I can, I've been cooped up in the house for far too long, I can walk around the shops until you come by," Marge said.

"Sounds like a plan then," Homer said.

Marge only smiled while little Lisa let out a soft coo that Homer could not help but smile at before realizing he needed to get back to work. He could watch little Lisa again later.

* * *

The two hours passed and Homer put on whatever he had lying around in the janitors locker. He knew he didn't have to be too fancy, he was only going to a coffee shop. It was just a nice place to mingle and enjoy as much coffee as your heart desired. He really could not wait to see her and finally talk again after so many years. He hoped he would stay calm and not suddenly get upset about anything. And most of all, he hoped Marge would not get into any trouble for talking to him.

She was waiting for him at the front entrance when he arrived, Lisa was in a little baby carrier sound asleep after that long day of meeting so many new faces. Together, Homer and Marge wasted no time in going into the shop. Marge wanted to talk and Homer was willing to listen and answer any questions Marge had. He opened the door for her and were greeted by the wonderful smell of brewing coffee. Marge ended up ordering for a Chai while Homer bought himself a caramel mocha with extra caramel. Once they had their order, they both sat down and began to talk.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Homer asked.

"Well first of all, thank you so much for helping me that afternoon. I actually felt very relieved to have someone I know take me to the hospital. I felt secure and safe with you and my parents are very grateful too. My Dad likes you a lot now, he things you are very noble and a good guy," Marge said.

"And what about Artie?" Homer asked before taking a sip of his coffee and then letting out a surprised gasp because of how hot it was.

"That's what I was about to talk about. I just want to say how sorry I am for not interfering when he hurt you like that. I think I was so hopped up on the drugs that I wasn't thinking straight, that and the fact that I now had a daughter instead of a son," Marge said.

"It's alright, I was more surprised that he had it in him to punch me like that. And I was upset that I had to leave but I got over it eventually thanks to my Dad," Homer said with a sigh.

"Yeah I know he probably hurt you in a more mental sense, which is easy to tell since you are a little nervous around me. But don't worry, I won't let Artie do that to you again, you don't deserve that. He's still not grateful that you took me to the hospital. He just acts like nothing bad happened. He says he's okay with Lisa being a girl instead of a boy, but someday I do wonder," Marge replied.

"How so?" Homer asked.

"Well he's never around much any more. He doesn't come home until at least eight, he says it's because he has a lot of work to do, especially since he says he has an intern to teach as well," Marge replied.

Homer raised and eyebrow and thought about what Marge said for a moment. Something didn't seem right. It sounded suspiciously like a recent movie he watched about a husband who was never home because he had a horrible secret that Homer was very disgusted by. The signs seemed about right, the absences, the anger that he displayed for no reason. Homer looked down at Lisa and felt very sorry for her at that point, if he was correct, her father was not keeping his vows like he should have.

"Marge, aren't you a little suspicious about it?" Homer asked.

"What do you mean?" Marge asked.

"I saw a movie with this exact same concept about a month ago. The husband went behind her back and cheated on her, I wanted to punch him in the face because he was such a sleazeball," Homer said.

Marge stared at Homer worriedly for a minute and then thought a little more about it. Was it true? Was Artie doing something he was not supposed to do? She had no idea, he said he loved her very much and was very affectionate. But in the past few months he had been acting distant and nervous. But it was probably because of other issues, mainly his job and working hard to make ends meet. At least she hoped any way. She wasn't ready to pass judgment just yet on her husband. "I hope not Homer, Artie cares very much about me. I appreciate your concern but I really don't think that's what it is," Marge said as she took a heavy sip of her chai.

"I hope it's not either, you don't deserve that," Homer said.

"No..." Marge said with a sigh. For a long moment there was silence as both acquaintances sat there drinking their beverages while Marge thought for a moment. Sure what Homer thought was taboo and Marge knew she had to get out of it, she did not want to upset Homer especially after inviting him to say she was sorry. "And I never asked, since you're back in Springfield, did your girlfriend from Key West come back with you?"

Homer stared at Marge for a long time, she was the reason for Jenna and him separating, but how could he tell her that without making her run away? Maybe he could just leave that reason out. "No, she wanted to have a better career and wanted to go to college. I didn't have any interest and apparently she got fed up with that and just decided to move on without me."

"Oh Homer I'm sorry, that must had been hard," Marge said.

"Yeah it sort of was," Homer replied, wishing the conversation did not turn into what they were talking about now.

"Don't worry though, someone will come to you, just wait patiently," Marge said.

"I am, just taking one day at a time," Homer said with a smile hoping that Marge would understand that he was staying optimistic through this.

"And I think Artie won't be so bombarded with work soon, I remembered he trained with a professional while in college, and he would work nonstop. I felt so bad for him," Marge said.

"I really hope that's the case for you too," Homer said worriedly.

Marge was about to reply when Lisa suddenly let out a heavy cry. Marge looked down at her tiny little infant and let out a small smile even though she was crying very loudly.

"I fed her not long before we met, so I think it's time for a change," Marge said as she picked up the baby carrier and made her way to a nearby restroom to change her. "I'll only be a minute."

Homer stood by the doorway, thinking about the conversation that had just gone on. It was a little worrisome. Artie was rarely home and Marge was usually taking care of the kid, did he really love Lisa or was he staying away and using heavy work load as an excuse. It sounded like the most plausible reason but Artie had been doing it long before Lisa was born. Hopefully it was just work issues and nothing more.

It wasn't long before Marge returned with a happier baby who was now cooing and looking up at Homer with bright blue eyes. Homer looked down at Lisa and smiled, she really was a lovely little child and the spitting image of her mother.

"Uhhh...can I hold her?" Homer asked.

"Of course!" Marge said as she set the baby carrier down and picked up Lisa gently.

Marge handed her over to Homer, who had not held a baby in a long time, so of course he was a little nervous. But after a few moments, it just came naturally and soon Lisa was cooing happily and grabbing with her tiny hands. Homer put his little finger in front of her and let her grab it for a minute before she let out a cute little yawn. Homer suddenly felt a sense of joy, Lisa was comfortable enough to let him hold her. He never felt this happy before in his life and he wished with all his heart that he could see her more and make her happy. Her father was not the best in the world and he needed to be there for her, but how do you force someone to do that when they refuse. Hopefully Marge, was right, hopefully it was only job issues.

Homer was so caught up in the moment that he decided to hold her up to see if she would giggle and laugh. Of course Lisa was still too young for that, but Homer didn't know better and before Marge could interject, Lisa spilled her recent dinner all over his shirt. For a moment, Homer stood there, not sure what to do as Marge dug around for some baby wipes, laughing the entire time.

"Yeah holding a baby like that can lead to disaster," Marge said as she took Lisa and put her in the carrier and then wiped the barf off of Homer's shirt.

"Sorry about that, I didn't know," Homer said.

"It's alright, your face was priceless," Marge said as she tried to hold her laughter in.

"I hope that doesn't happen again, I feel very dirty right now," Homer said.

"Well you'll be going home soon enough, it should clean up easily." Marge said while she threw away the baby wipes. "Any way, thanks again for helping me, I'll be back next semester and then we can see each other more. Maybe even go out for coffee again,"

"I'd like that," Homer said with a smile.

Marge only smiled back before picking up the carrier and making her way toward the door. Homer held the door for her before they went their separate ways for the evening. As Marge drove home she had a smile on her face as she realized that Homer was a good guy and that she probably should have given him a chance years ago. But that was in the past, she was married now and had a child. You couldn't change that.

* * *

It was eight by the time she pulled up the driveway and discovered she was still the only one home. Sometimes Artie would be home by now. Where was he? Would he be home soon? While she pondered these things, she put Lisa to bed before making her way to the kitchen to see if he left any messages in their answering machine. There were three, the first two being from solicitors asking for random things, the third was from Artie.

"Hey Marge, ummm...something's come up and because of that, I won't be home tonight. I'll spill you the details later. Actually, we need to talk more than anything. So yeah...ummm...see you later."

The message ended and Marge stood in front of the answering machine for the longest time, wondering about what Artie said. He sounded nervous and didn't end with his usual "I love you." There was background noise too, what was that? She played it again and listened carefully, she could hear people in the background and was that a baby crying? Something was not right, and it made Marge nervous. It also made her think about what Homer said. Was he right? She hoped not, she did not want anything like that to happen. She wanted her life with Artie to be okay and happy. As she lay down for the night, her fatigue turned into many questions that would not get out of her mind. It rattled her her brain and kept her up for the rest of the night.

* * *

A/N: Eh, this chapter, eh. Yeah sorry about this one, I know it doesn't compare to the last few. But hopefully the next one will be more interesting. We will see though. Still I hope you enjoyed it somehow.

Please review when you can and please be my friend on my facebook page Narfy Toon. See you all in a week.


	35. Changes

While Marge spent the day bringing Lisa to visit old friends at the school. Artie was spending his morning preparing for a very important meeting his company was giving. He was a little nervous about the whole situation, the meeting was announced two days ago, normally meetings were announced a week ahead of time so for the past two days, Artie could only believe the worst was about to happen. Did Olivia finally spill the beans? He knew it would happen eventually, she was nine months now and people were talking about who it was that knocked her up. No one had approached him about it, but he could sense that all eyes were on him and just the thought of explaining to Marge why he was fired was enough to set him on the edge.

He knew he would have to tell Marge eventually, he just wasn't sure how to begin to tell her. Perhaps it was just best to serve her with divorce papers, that way instead of saying he was cheating on her, he could say that someone else had stolen his heart. But that probably would not get past Marge, if someone stole your heart, it usually meant that cheating was involved.

Artie couldn't stand it, for an hour he paced his office back and forth, wondering why Olivia had not shown up yet to bother him and wondering how he could fix this certain problem. He could lie and say that Olivia had framed him, but then there would be a DNA test and the company would not be pleased with him lying. He knew he made a horrible mistake and now there was no real way out of it. He would have to keep everything a secret until he was caught and when he was, well he hoped he would not panic too badly.

The hour was finally upon him when he had to go to the meeting. He had been to the meeting room many times before. It was down the hall in a nice big room where at least fifty people could sit at and debate about ideas to use for computers and other things. Normally, every chair was occupied. Normally, only a handful would notice him coming into the room. Normally, no one would talk to him and he would only listen to what was happening. Today was not one of those days. Instead he found himself standing by the doorway staring back at three people and the end of the table. His boss, his supervisor and surprisingly, his old boss from his internship a few years ago. Why he was there was anyone's guess and all Artie could do was nervously make his way to the chair closest to them and sit down waiting for them to say something.

At first all three men stared back at Artie while Artie sat there twiddling his thumbs wondering what fate was going to befall him moments later. He wished time would move faster for this one instant, just so he could get it over with, instead he had to wait, and wait, and wait. Until finally his boss named Jason spoke.

"You're probably wondering why you're here," Jason said.

"Yes sir! I have been since you announced it the other day," Artie said.

"Understandable," his supervisor named Greg said.

"How bad is this meeting any way since you got Chris here too?" Artie asked worriedly.

The boys where all silent for a moment before they stared at each other, surprised that Artie would say such a thing. Finally, all three let out a loud laugh that shook the empty room, leaving Artie clinging to the chair for dear life. Finally, Chris spoke up.

"I'm sorry, we really did not mean to worry you. We were just going to tell you that an opportunity has come up."

"What kind of opportunity?" Artie asked.

"Well, you're a hard worker, one of the best. But I've realized for the longest time that this is really not something you should be doing for so long. You need to create, not help them create. I know you have a brilliant mind Artie and I say you should use it," Jason said.

"...Go on...?" Artie said curiously.

"Well how you handled things back at the internship really helped us accomplish many things. And after a long thought out process, we believe that you are perfect to come back and work for our company," Jason continued.

Artie stared back at them with surprise. He was really not expecting this and he really wasn't sure how to respond, especially since this job required him to return to Capitol City, a place where Marge had no interest in returning to, no matter what the job offer, all because of her stupid family and her ill father. He was barely sick any more to begin with, but Marge would always remain concerned.

"You mean all the way back in Capitol City right?" Artie asked.

"Yup! The job is yours if you say yes," Chris replied.

Artie could not believe what he was hearing. He remembered how he thought about applying for the job before returning to Springfield. He always saw it as a perfect job with the best salary. A job where he was needed, not like where he was now. But Marge had kept him from doing so, but would Marge even want to return to Capitol City? Probably not. Would Olivia? Possibly. Of course she was heavily pregnant right now, all she was concerned about was delivering the baby as soon as she could. Could waiting be an option?

"It sounds great, and I would say yes to you in a heartbeat, but I need to ask my wife first," Artie said.

The three turned to each other before nodding in agreement. "We'll give you a week," Jason said as he got up to leave.

"Thank you, will we meet here next week then?" Artie asked.

"We will, unless you want to give us the answer as soon as possible, then feel free to meet up with Greg and we will arrange things," Jason said.

Artie nodded and shook hands with everyone before leaving the meeting room and heading back to his desk. As he did so, his mind was swimming. Who should he call first? For some reason he could sense that Marge would hate the idea and most likely say no. Olivia might say yes to this opportunity, but she wasn't his wife. Thought it did feel that way these days with the baby coming and everything. This was a harder decision than he thought.

He entered his office and sat down on his desk, thinking about who to call and to figure out what to do. He really wanted to have a better job, one that would keep his stable and happy. One where he would be richer and be respected more. But his wife and his secret lover seemed to be keeping him at bay, he had no idea who to call on this first. At the moment, he wished Marge's father would finally drop dead, just so they could get on with their lives. Of course her mother was still in the way, but Marge could get over that idea of her mother being alone, she had two sisters to watch her.

Artie let out a sigh and reached for his phone to call Marge. But before he could, he noticed one of the red lights were blinking. Someone had called in the short time he was out and left a message. He knew stalling was a good thing and decided to listen to the message. It was from Olivia.

"Artie!" Olivia's voice called. "I'm in labor, I'm being brought to Springfield General hospital now to deliver. Please get here as soon as you get this message. We don't want any trouble now do we?"

The last sentence made Artie feel very nervous. Would she spill the beans now, or wait until the baby was born? Probably depended on how much pain killers were involved. Still he did not want to take any chances, he needed to be there for her.

Artie entered the hospital a half an hour later, it was the same hospital Marge had Lisa in so he was familiar with the hallways, he just wasn't sure what room Olivia was in. Luckily a nurse noticed his predicament and brought him to a private room at the end of the hallway where Olivia was waiting for him. When Artie entered, he found it to be an entirely different scene from what he had been through with Marge. Olivia was wide awake and sitting up. An IV was snaking down to her wrist and she was alone, no nurses were with her. She looked like she was there for no real reason other than to scare Artie out of his wits. Was she really due now?

"I thought you were in labor?" Artie asked.

"I am, but it's not as bad as your wife's," Olivia said with a grin. "The contractions aren't very strong yet either."

"Well I guess that's a good thing, her's was so worrisome," Artie admitted as he grabbed a chair and sat down next to Olivia.

"Depends on the girl really," Olivia said as she let out a heavy sigh while the baby began to move again.

"How soon will he be out?" Artie asked.

"I don't know, could be in a half an hour, or maybe until later this evening. It depends on the baby," Olivia said.

"Oh, and I have to be here until that happens huh?" Artie asked. He knew he would have to be there when Olivia gave birth, he just wasn't ready to deal with it at the moment. He blamed the many thoughts running through his head.

"Yup, but we can find ways to pass the time...how was your day?" Olivia asked,

"My old boss came by today," Artie said with a hint of worry in his voice.

"Oh really? What did he want?" Olivia asked.

"He said he wanted me back, that I was very important to him and the company," Artie said.

"And did you take it?" Olivia asked before letting out a pained gasp as she clutched her heavily pregnant tummy.

"I told them I would think about it," Artie said worriedly when he saw her flinch.

"Why think about it? I would take that job in a heartbeat," Olivia said once the contraction ended.

"Because Marge does not want to move," Artie replied in a gruff voice. He had said this to Olivia many times before, but she refused to acknowledge that both the husband and wife had to agree on things.

"So, do you even care about her any more?" Olivia asked.

Artie sat there thinking about that question. Did he really care about her? He was keeping the family in Springfield because that was what she wanted. But really, he wanted to be in Capitol City where a good job was sitting there waiting for him, where he would not be bored all day and where he would be happy. But Marge was happy where she was, it was a good job and she loved to teach there. Capitol City was never the place for her, she always seemed antsy, like she was ready to go home and see family. But really, did he care what she thought? The more he thought about this, the more he questioned if he even loved her. Why did he marry her? Because they had been together so long and now it seemed to be falling apart with him never home. It felt that way now.

And what about Olivia, did he really care about her? The only reason why he was with her as often as possible was so that she could keep her damn mouth shut. Was married life really for him? Did he even love these two women he had been close to for years? Olivia was pretty, but she was also manipulative, something he had to watch out for in the future. Marge was amazing but too fragile for his own good. What could he do now? This baby was coming out any minute, he would have to help take care of it, but would he love it? He really felt no connection with Lisa, he simply never wanted a girl. He was just trapped now between heaven and hell and there was no way out no matter what he did.

"I really don't know," Artie said with a sigh.

"If you don't know then that means that the love you felt years ago is no longer there," Olivia said.

"I sort of knew that, but I don't feel a love for you either. I just knocked you up because of how tempting you are," Artie said.

"And now look what you're stuck with." Olivia said with a sadistic grin. "Child support and having to tell your wife how you feel and what you did, it's not going to be easy."

"I'm well aware of that! It's been bothering me for months now!" Artie said angrily.

"And the only way you can survive is by taking that job in Capitol City," Olivia said.

"Yeah...and maybe I'll be lucky and Marge will change her mind and will want to go with me," Artie replied with a sigh as he tried to think of better scenarios.

Perhaps he was seeing all wrong, maybe Marge would not mind moving to Capitol City. Of course he would have to tell her about this other baby he was having but maybe somehow they could keep it a secret. Probably not though, Olivia was very conniving and even though she was in pain at the moment, she looked like she was plotting evil.

"Could we keep the baby a secret? I mean people do it all the time. Frank told me he has a son that he pays child support for and his wife doesn't even know about it," Artie said.

"His wife's a flight attendant, gone more often than not, your wife is a teacher, works when she can," Olivia replied before another contraction hit. For a moment, Artie thought that this was it, that the baby was about to come. But after about a minute, things calmed down while Olivia started to breathe heavily. "I guess that means it's close."

"Yeah..." Artie said nervously. "...And closer to Marge finding out."

"You're going to have to tell her eventually and then things will be the way they should be," Olivia said with a smirk.

Artie stared back at Olivia, she wanted him to leave her so she could have him as his own. Truthfully though, he didn't want her, she was too conniving and too dangerous to be around for long periods of time. But thanks to her, his feelings for Marge had changed and now he just wanted to be happy with a good job that would take him places. It would probably upset Marge, but she would get over it in time.

"In your dreams Olivia," Artie replied.

"Really? Because I would go with you to Capitol City. I'm only finishing up an internship," Olivia said as she gripped the bed sheets while another contraction arrived.

"I doubt our relationship would last very long," Artie replied.

"And you didn't doubt this one you're in with Marge?" Olivia asked.

Artie glared back at Olivia angrily. It was a conversation he had been having for a while with her, it usually went in circles and they would never get anything accomplished. He needed to be alone for a while. He knew that Olivia would not deliver any time soon so he walked out and paced around the halls. It was time to think about his future. He wanted the job, he wanted to be successful. He planned to tell Marge about it, if she wasn't up for it, then too bad for her. Their relationship was stagnant now, they rarely saw each other any more, and his longing for her had disappeared a long time ago. He loved her in the beginning that was for sure, but things change. He didn't love Olivia either, but he was stuck paying child support for her. She was just a bad temptress who seduced him one too many times. Perhaps he could try to live with her for a while, just to see what it was like.

He had paced the halls, thinking about this problem for a few hours before finally deciding to return to the birth area. Olivia was still having contractions, but the baby was not quite ready yet. He paced the halls some more, mainly where Olivia was, just so he could be close by when it happened. Finally after another hour, he saw the nurses rush to her room. He did the same and watched as another child of his was brought into the world. It was quicker than Marge's and what arrived was not what he was expecting.

"Congratulations, it's a girl," the doctor said.

Artie said nothing but let out a sigh, another girl. How strange. He was thinking a boy from Olivia, but apparently he was only lucky enough to bring girls into the world. Not that he cared about the gender any more, he was paying child support either way.

The doctors did a quick exam of the child, and cleaned the umbilical cord before handing her over to Olivia who held her new daughter tightly in her arms. Artie watched, not sure how to feel about this new situation. He wanted to run, but was too afraid that she would call the cops on him.

"Do you have a name for her?" one of the nurses asked.

"Oh not yet, I still needed to discuss it with Artie," Olivia said.

"I'm not really good with names," Artie replied.

"Well I had four in mind, pick which one you like. Sophia, Silvia, Penelope, or Brittany."

Artie stared at his new daughter, deciding which name would be right for her. She had inherited her mothers hair, blonde yet curly like him. Her eyes were blue and she had his nose. Other than that though, she did look like her mother and for some reason Haley seemed to stay in his mind.

"I like Silvia," Artie replied. "Do you have a middle name too?"

"No, I actually wasn't thinking about that, did you give Lisa one?" Olivia asked.

"Yup, Marge liked Marie, like Elvis Presley's daughter. Sort of strange I know."

"I've heard worse, how about you pick one, I bet you can come up with something good."

Artie didn't like that idea, he really wasn't good with names, especially since he just wanted to name his son AJ. But he did his best and and thought about it for a few minutes.

"Well, I had a friend in school who's middle name was Skye, I always thought it was unique. Then I knew a girl name Lillian. Which one do you like?"

"Hmmmm, Skye sounds nice."

"Silvia Skye? What would her last name be?"

"Oh that does sound lovely, and I think I'll just give her my last name for now for now. So it's settled Silvia Skye Winters is her name."

The nurse nodded and wrote it down before leaving the room. Now it was just Artie, Olivia, and little Silvia together there. Artie watched as Olivia hugged her newborn tightly before turning to Artie and motioning him to hold her. Artie took her in his arms and held her tightly as he stared at his newest creation. Who would she be like he wondered? Hopefully not conniving like her mother and if she was anything like him, he hoped she would be smart and made good decisions. That's all he hoped for any way. After a few minutes, Olivia had fallen asleep and he was getting tired himself. He knew he had to stay at the hospital with her, but he also knew that Marge probably wondered where he was. He needed to call her. Finally he handed the child to a nurse who was ready to do a little check up on her any way and then made his way back to the hallway in search of a payphone. Once he found one, he dialed the house.

After a few rings, the voice mail picked up while at the same time, a team of doctors was running down the hall with a crying baby in their arms. He hoped it would not be heard as he left the message for Marge.

"Hey Marge," He began nervously. "Ummm...something's come up and because of that I won't be home tonight. I'll spill you the details later. Actually, we need to talk more than anything. So yeah...ummmm...see you later."

With that he hung up the phone and made his way back to Olivia's room. His mind going a million miles an hour as he wondered what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

A/N: Oh how I hate this chapter. I know it was probably the same crap over and over and I apologize, but hopefully what I wrote sounded convincing enough for the next chapter which is going to get a little dicey and dramatic. I have three more chapters to go too and I really hope I don't mess up or piss any of you off. So stay tuned.

Hope everyone is doing well and please review when you can.


	36. Confession

It had been a long day for Artie. He did not sleep well the night before thanks to the couch that he tried to sleep on in Olivia's hospital room. Not only was the couch uncomfortable, but his mind was filled with thoughts on what to do next. How was everything going to pan out? He was the father of two children now, the first born he rarely saw and now the second one was here and her mother was very adamant about child support. He really didn't want to deal with it, he just wanted to run away and never see anyone again where he would be happy and things would be alright for him.

He wanted to say yes to his boss about moving to Capitol City, but for some reason, he was holding it back and waiting for the right opportunity. He wanted to ask Marge, perhaps her mind had changed over the past few months and was ready to move on. Perhaps she was willing to return to the big city and grow with their little family. Olivia would have to deal with it, he would pay child support and that was all he wanted to do with them. Olivia had ruined his life and wished he knew how to get her out of it. But of course he had to go and knock her up.

He knew he was at fault for that and he knew that what he did to Marge was unforgivable. But he couldn't help but think that he should have never married her. He had been cheating on her before he even proposed, he thought he would change, but instead he kept doing what he did until it led to another child not belonging to Marge. Things just weren't looking good for him and he admitted to himself that he was too afraid to go home that night. But he needed to, he and Marge needed to talk things over and find out what could benefit them in the long run.

The drive home was the worst, every traffic light seemed to stop him and the roads seemed to be longer. He kept wondering if Olivia could be transferred out of the hospital soon, which meant he would have to pick her up and take her home. Hopefully though it would not be until later, when all was said and done. He finally needed to confess to Marge, he finally needed to tell her the truth, he finally needed to jump into the fire. He just needed to get out of his car first.

Artie could only stand by his car after he had parked it in front of the house. The lights were on so Marge was home waiting for him. Was she eager to see him after a night of going missing, or was she not concerned with such matters and simply watching a movie without him like so many times in the past? How could he even start the conversation? He had played many ideas in his head, but none of them sounded good at all. He had to come up with something, maybe just tell her about the job and then admit the mistake. Marge would probably want a long conversation about the job first. He had no idea, all he knew was that it was time to confess.

Slowly he made his way to the front door and slowly entered. He was surprised to discover that the TV was not on. Maybe she just got bored and wanted to do something else so he searched the rooms as he made his way in looking for her and wondering what she was up to. He tried the kitchen, but she was not in there, nor was she in the living room. He peeked into the baby's room and there she was, sitting in the rocking chair nursing little Lisa and staring out the window. There was a longing look in her eyes like she was deep in thought and he began to wonder if he should even disturb her.

He watched her, wondering if she even knew he was there. For a moment, he saw the girl that he wanted to marry, the girl he fell in love with. For a moment, he felt a sense of calm and the need to be close to her again, but he was afraid and could feel the need leave him quickly when he remembered why he was there. He didn't know what to do, and he thought about walking away and going to his room to change when Marge suddenly spoke.

"What's her name?"

Artie turned back to her, startled that she was even talking, especially when she wasn't looking back at him. He wasn't even sure he heard her right.

"What?" Artie replied startled.

"Don't act dumb Artie, I want to know her name!" Marge said again without looking back at him.

For a moment, Artie wanted to sound innocent, like he knew nothing of what Marge was playing at. But he knew Marge was smarter than that, and he really could not get past her with something like this even if he tried. He knew it would happen sooner or later, he just didn't realize that she would find out somehow, he always thought he would wind up telling her. Of course if he told her, her reaction would be very different. Not like this at all.

"H-How did you find out?" Artie asked worriedly.

"Why else would you be gone all the time? A true husband and father would at least take the time out of his busy schedule and see his newborn daughter and wife. He would be excited to see me when he came home, and he would at least show some compassion at the birth of his newborn daughter. But you didn't, you didn't even care if she was healthy or not, you just threw a tantrum like a toddler," Marge said in a voice that was rising every second. "Was this what you wanted to talk about last night when you called me from the hospital?"

"The hospital?" Artie asked surprised. How in the world did she know that?

"I heard a baby crying in the background, along with several other people. I tried not to think that it would be true, but I heard it enough times to believe it. How long has this been going on?" Marge asked. This time she stared back at him, her eyes showing both anger and hurt. She looked like she was about to cry but she seemed to hold it in as she tried to remain strong so she could get information out of her cheating husband.

"A while," Artie said nervously.

"How long is a while," Marge asked as she set the bottle down and got up to put Lisa in her crib. "Dammit Artie! I am not playing games right now! You had an affair! You had another child out of this, so it has to be more than nine months! You betrayed me!"

Artie let out a sigh and stared at the floor. This had been going on for a while, longer than it should have, but how could he tell her that.

"Answer me!" Marge yelled again as she stood nose to nose with him before walking out of the room and toward hers.

"Since... before I asked you to...marry me," Artie admitted. He felt as if a stone was dropped into his stomach and he wanted to vomit. He felt like he was being interrogated by an angry police officer for stealing an expensive diamond. He could not believe he didn't try to call her in a more secluded place, she heard what was true and he could not hide it any more.

Marge turned around and stared. He saw the sadness in them, he saw the anger and the pain. Yet he could not move forward to hug her, he knew she would reject it and he knew that it really no longer mattered. He was unfaithful to her and a hug could not cure that.

"Then why the hell did you marry me?" Marge asked as tears formed in her eyes.

Before Artie could even respond, or even think about why he even did so in the first place. Marge slammed the door in their room and locked it. Artie moved forward, trying to figure out what to say between the door, but he couldn't think of anything, all he could hear was her sobbing on the bed for what he did. He knew he had to think about it, he knew he had to give it some time. Quietly he made his way to the living room, sat down, and stared at the wall.

Why did he marry her? Well the main reason was because they had been together for so long and neither of them showed any interest in ending it back then. They were happy and independent of each other really. For the first year or so they tried to stay out of each others way and saw each other when they could. It seemed to work out alright. But then, once they both started sharing an apartment in college, that's when Artie started seeing Olivia. He remembered it now. He wanted a weekend away from Marge after a crazy week of school work. While working in the office, he met Olivia who seemed to sense his need to be away from the one he loved. And that was when she went in for the kill. Ever since then, he could not get away from her. He was now trapped between someone he loved once and someone who ruined his life forever. He wanted to run, to just take that job in Capitol City and never look back. But it wasn't that easy.

He sat in silence for a good hour, thinking about what to do and what to tell Marge. He knew he would be sleeping on the couch tonight. He wasn't going to try to argue with that logic, Marge knew now and she was probably not going to forgive him. He had no idea how long Marge would stay in their room or if she would want to talk to him again tonight. He could leave if he wanted to, but he knew that the only other place he could go at the moment was to his parents. He didn't want that, not right now, they would be very disappointed in him.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted by Lisa, who started crying heavily in her room. For a while he sat there, wondering if Marge would come out of the room and attend to her. But she never did, perhaps this was a test, to see if he would even go to her. He decided to be a father and made his way to the room where Lisa was lying on her back crying her heart out. Artie looked down, not sure what to do and a little nervous about the situation. Finally he picked her up and held her his arms. It seemed to work too, Lisa stopped crying and looked up at her father with bright eyes and a happy smile. Artie could not help but smile either. She really was a beautiful little girl, a blessing and a miracle.

"If only you knew how much of a sleaze your father is, you'd probably still be crying," Artie said with a sigh.

Lisa only stared back and grabbed his shirt as if she was trying to get closer. Artie pushed her away a little and instead had her hold onto his finger. He let her do this while he made his way over to the chair in the living room and slowly rocked her. Marge would need his help to support her, but would she still want him to stay around? Highly unlikely, there was no way you could forgive and then trust someone after committing those crimes.

"I'll do my best to support you, you deserve it. But it's up to you if you ever want to see me. I probably wouldn't be a very good Dad for you," Artie said. "I really don't know why I even married your mother in the first place, maybe to show off, or maybe just because I thought I knew what love was and then took it for granted."

As Artie talked to Lisa, Marge slowly opened the door to their room and listened, it was true, she wanted to see if he would go to her, but she was not expecting him to talk to her. He sounded so sincere about what he was saying, he knew what he did was wrong, but he had been doing it for so long that Marge could not forgive him. He made a small mistake that caused him to slip up, and he could have hidden it even longer if the baby did not cry by the phone. But it was good to find out, she had been living with a cheater and a liar and she thought he loved her just as much as she did.

"I feel like I've lived a lie," Marge said quietly once she got closer.

Artie jumped up, startled that Marge was standing right behind him. Her eyes were puffy from crying, her hair in a big mess. It had been a long day for her as she waited for him to come home. He had been so nervous and scared, in fact he still was because he didn't know what was going to happen next.

"Did you ever even love me?" Marge asked as tears fell down her face.

Artie stared back at her, he had to admit, he did feel bad for what he did, even ashamed. And as he looked into Marge's eyes, he knew there was more hurt than anger. She had loved him with all her heart. But did he? He remembered the night of the prom, how beautiful she looked in the moonlight, how he wanted to be with her after that night. How he always thought about her night and day and how he wanted her to succeed, and succeed she did. She was now a very good teacher at the college. Yes he did love her once, he still did, but for some reason he knew it wasn't the same love.

"I did...and I still do," Artie said.

"What a load of bull! If you still loved me you would never do such a thing to me!" Marge replied angrily.

"Well I don't hate you, is that what you want to hear?" Artie asked with a raised voice before realizing he had a child in his arms.

Marge let out a sigh and stared down at the ground. "I thought I was your everything, your heart and soul, that you would always be there for me and Lisa."

"You were, and then I let my selfishness get the best of me. I know I should say I'm sorry but..."

"...Sorry won't even cut it for me, especially now that you have another kid to deal with. So tell me Artie did you get lucky and get a boy out of her?"

Artie shook his head and stared down at Lisa who was cooing softly in his arms. Two girls out of two relationships. The odds were definitely not in his favor. He let out a sigh, he knew that what he had done was wrong, he always knew, he simply never knew when to stop. He tried to ignore the consequences and the fact that he loved an amazing women with talent and heart. There was no one like her in the world, yet he took her for granted and cheated on her. And his daughter, well he just wished he didn't get so upset when she was born, she was healthy and that was all that really mattered. At the moment though, he felt he wasn't worth enough to hold her.

"Does she need to go back to her crib?" Artie asked as he held Lisa out to Marge.

Marge looked at Lisa, she seemed content in her fathers arms, so she shook her head. "Hold her for a while longer, because once this is finished, I want you to leave."

Artie already knew that he was not sleeping with Marge tonight, he was prepared to sleep on the couch. But he did not realize that Marge would kick him out so quickly. "I can't even sleep on the couch tonight?"

"You have a floozy to sleep with, go home to her!" Marge replied angrily.

"I don't want to go home to her Marge! She's still at the hospital any way, and truthfully, I never actually liked her, she was just so damn tempting that I couldn't walk away from her. She had me like putty in my hands," Artie said.

"And yet you still kept seeing her, Artie how can I believe any of that?" Marge asked.

"Because she threatened to call you if I didn't give in," Artie replied. "Now that I think about it though, she threatened to call you if you had a girl. That was why I was so upset when Lisa was born. But apparently she never did, did she even have our number?"

"She manipulated you, and you never walked away. Did you even think about how this would ruin us? How I would feel? How you betrayed me and our love?" Marge asked.

"I tried, but she kept getting in the way," Artie said with a sigh.

Marge let out a sad sigh and turned away. This was just too much for her to handle, she could no longer hold it in and began to sob heavily. The man who she thought loved her unconditionally, never truly did. They were only married because they had been together for so long and both thought that it was enough to be together forever. She knew that Artie didn't care, that he knew what he did was wrong, but didn't try to change it, he didn't care about the consequences and now he was finally caught.

"Marge, the real reason why I wanted to talk to you was because I went to a meeting yesterday. The guys in Capitol City want me back and..."

"Then go! If it makes you feel happier then go! I'm not stopping you, just like how I never stopped you from cheating on me!" Marge interrupted as she turned around with tears falling down her face.

"You wouldn't want to come with me?" Artie asked just to make sure.

"Artie, I told you before, I don't want to live there because of my family. I don't even know how long my Dad has left," Marge said. "And why would I go with you? All I would think about is how I've spent years with you not knowing that you cheated on me until now. How can I even trust you any more."

"...You can't," Artie replied sadly, he knew he could never stop giving into temptation no matter what, and Olivia would most likely keep pursuing him.

"At least you are honest about that. When you've had enough of holding Lisa, please leave. I don't care where or when, just leave. I'll go out and get the divorce papers sometime this week," Marge said as she began walking back to her room.

"I can do it, if you'd like," Artie said knowing it would save Marge a lot of grief especially for someone with a baby.

"Whatever Artie, I don't care. Just like you never did," Marge said before closing the door behind her.

Artie stood near the door for a minute, thinking he needed to say something. But nothing came, until he remembered something very important, at least to him any way. "If I'm supposed to leave, then what about my things?"

"Come back tomorrow," Marge replied.

Artie stood there, it was really too late to go looking for his things any way. Marge just wanted him out right now, there was no more arguing, she was done and that was all there was to it. He could wait and come back when the time was right. For now though, he was alone in the living room with Lisa who was barely making a sound as she lay in her fathers arms. He was actually sort of surprised Marge trusted him to be alone with Lisa. Probably because Marge knew Artie just wasn't the kind of guy who wouldn't do anything bad, and she was right. He really didn't want to do anything harmful any way, what good would that accomplish? Just a lot of heartache and nights in the slammer.

Artie knew he had to make this last time with Lisa count, he had held her before, but not for this long and he wondered if he would ever do it again. Would Marge even want him to see her? How much would she want him to pay for child support? He really hoped it wasn't a lot, but that was him talking. It was Marge's and courts choice, he could not decide on that.

"Well Lisa, looks like you're gonna be without a Dad for a while. If your mother does find someone else, I hope he loves you just as much as he loves her. I'm sorry you'll have to go through this. Of course you'll be too young to remember but your mother will tell you what happened to your real Dad, I just know it. I have no idea how often we will see each other, or even if we will see each other. But if not, I wish you the best."

Lisa let out a tired yawn before falling asleep with her thumb in her mouth as Artie rocked her back and forth. For the first time, he felt a sense of pride for having this child, but it was really too late to do anything about it. He screwed up big time and now his marriage was over. Divorce was on the horizon and he could not blame Marge for not wanting to keep the marriage going. He knew Olivia would keep pestering him and he could never get away from her. Who knows what else would happen down the line.

For a good hour he held Lisa and remembered the good times he had with Marge. They all were so long ago now, way back before they were even married. Yeah, there really was no point in getting married. He just wanted to do it because of how long the relationship lasted. He remembered how nervous he was at the altar and how he realized he was going to be with her night and day. It was something he really did not count on until it came up and bit him.

Finally, he got up and carefully put Lisa to bed without waking her. He watched her sleep for a few minutes longer while leaning against the crib and wondered what his daughter was dreaming of.

"Goodbye Lisa, stay sweet, for your mother's sake."

He tousled her hair lightly before making his way out of the room and shutting it gently behind him. Finally, Artie grabbed what he could, which was only a small handful of things and carried it toward the door. He took one more look at the house where he lived in with Marge for so long and realized it was no longer his home. It was just a place he called home with the one he never really loved to begin with. Not many memories were actually here, it was just a place to live in, a place where dirty, dark secrets were kept. He really did not belong here, Marge could keep it and do whatever she wanted with it, maybe even make it a better home. Maybe.

Finally, he crossed the threshold and made his way out the door before closing it behind him.

* * *

A/N: Well, what can I say really. It was a bit difficult to write because I wasn't sure what kind of emotion both of them would use. Well mainly Artie, so hopefully I made it believable. I've often wondered how men or women who cheat on their husbands or wives feel about what they've done. And truthfully I've wanted to ask my Dad that question. But I know it would be too much for him to talk about. Yes, my Dad cheated on my mother. In fact it was sort of like this marriage between Artie and Marge. Though my mom knew all about what he was doing just shortly after she became pregnant with me, and the girls would actually call my mom in the middle of the night telling her that my father was coming home. They divorced a few months after I was born and I know my dad regrets it, I heard him say it to my step brother when I came in at the right time to join them on a car ride. Oh and my step brother is two years younger than me in case you are wondering. And he didn't care what I came out as, he was just thrilled either way.

I still see him when I can, I love going fishing with him, he's still a great Dad, he just made a bad choice when he was younger. He always checks on me and is always excited to see me. But it is a little hard to get to Maryland when when you live thousands of miles away in Colorado.

But any way sorry for that little story right there, just thought about sharing. So I hope you all thought it was okay. I got two more chapters to go. How will it pan out? Well you'll just have to wait and see. On a side note, I'll be at the Denver comic con on Saturday. I want to listen to Billy West talk. Any way please review and have a great week.


	37. Visiting Homer

**Some people say that love's a losing game,**

**Start with fire but you lose the flame.**

**The ashes smolder but the warmth's soon gone,**

**You end up cold and lonely on your own. **

**-Excerpt from You'll Accomp'ny by Bob Seger**

Sadness, regret, devastation: these were the feelings Marge had as she lay in the darkness of her room for almost a week. The only times she would leave her bed were when she needed to tend to Lisa, use the restroom, and eat a small meal. Once she hid in the darkness of the bathroom as Artie cleaned out what was his. He took his clothes, a few of his items, and asked Marge politely if he could take the love seat which was really given by his father a few years ago any way. Marge simply said yes. When he left, Marge made her way to the kitchen for a drink of water and found the divorce papers on the table. He signed everything that needed to be signed; all Marge needed was her signature.

But she did not go out right away and deliver it; she just stayed in her room and contemplated about all the years she spent with Artie. How could she have been so blind? How did she miss the fact that he was cheating on her? That he lied to her? Why did she not see the signs? She felt stupid and ashamed, and just wanted to lay in bed forever, to never show her face to the world ever again. She felt so betrayed; Artie loved her so much at first, what made him change so quickly? What did the girl have that she didn't have?

It hurt Marge terribly, she felt so unwanted at the moment that she didn't know what to do, running away sounded nice. To run away with Lisa to a faraway land and just be happy there. But it wasn't that easy, where was this faraway land and could it ever be accessible? Why did things have to be so complicated? She just wanted a happy marriage, with a loving husband and children. At least she was able to get a child out of that, but her father was no longer around. She was still debating child support. She could take care of herself and Lisa, she had a good job. But maybe it was better to have him help pay just so she could stay in contact and make sure he knew how Lisa was doing. But did that really matter? He didn't even care about her, why would he want to know how she was doing? Because that was what fathers were supposed to do.

But she decided to keep thinking about it, and try to move on, after almost a week, on a rainy afternoon in mid-September, she found herself sitting in with the other art teachers about classes and how they would change the following semester. Lisa was in a carrier beside her, she had only planned to be there a short time, so she was not looking for a baby sitter. But by the end of it all, she found herself in her office, figuring out how to work her syllabus with what the teachers had told her.

She sat alone in her office, thinking about how the schedule would pan out and if the things she did last semester could work with what the teachers had planned. Some ideas were great; others could easily be taken out of the curriculum and replaced with something new. It made her wish life could be that easy, to just simply erase what she had ruined and make it into something grander. If only, she let out a sigh as she stared at a week in February where she would be teaching the history of the Baroque era, those amazing buildings and masterpieces that many people said was the best era of them all. With the Council of Trent in full swing and the amazing detail on many masterpieces, Marge should have been ecstatic about what she was going to teach, but at the moment, it just felt like an ordinary class. She hung her head down and stared at the sheet of paper, wondering what to do with it to make it work, when she heard a noise.

It was a noise she had not heard since the four months she had been gone. It was the sound of a vacuum cleaning the room next to her. Homer! The sweet man who helped her get to the hospital, had talked to her only a day before and gave her the idea that her husband might be cheating on her. She needed to tell him that he was right and that they needed to go out for coffee again, if he was so inclined.

She quickly got up and made her way to the next room and peeked in only to find his coworker Henry cleaning the room. It didn't take long for Henry to notice her as he stopped vacuuming and looked up at Marge with a happy smile.

"Mrs. Ziff, I see you came back for the upcoming semester," Henry said.

"Umm, it's Miss Bouvier now thank you, but that's not important, have you seen Homer?" Marge asked.

"Oh, he took the day off today, we sort of went overboard yesterday moving things and pulled his back out a little. So he's at home now resting it off for a few days," Henry said.

"Hmmm…I will have to go by and visit him, maybe bring him a little something," Marge said.

"I bet he would love that, he's always fond of foot long hero's for some reason. At least it seems that way, usually he talks about how that would make a great dinner on the way home," Henry said.

"Then I'll look into that," Marge said as she made her way back to her office and decided to end it for the day. Lisa was getting a little fussy any way and she really did need someone to talk to.

Marge stopped at the local market to get Homer a sandwich just for him, turkey with all the fixings on it. Once she purchased her order she made her way to Homer's house, well actually his dads. He mentioned once that he still lived with him and how she could even remember where he lived was a feat in and of itself. She stopped in front of the house and looked toward the front; there were two cars in the driveway so both were actually home. Hopefully she would not disturb Abe too much. Finally she got out of the car and put Lisa in her carrier before making her way up the driveway and toward the door and rang the doorbell.

She was not surprised to see Homer's father answer the door. He didn't seem to care who it was either because he was definitely not dressed in his best clothes. He wore a simple wife beater shirt and boxers while in his hand was a big duff beer can. As soon as he saw Marge, his eyes opened wide and yelled for Homer.

"Homer, you haven't knocked anyone up recently have you?" Abe yelled.

She heard Homer reply, but did not make out what was said so she quickly interjected. "No, I know my daughter's not his, I just came to visit him."

"Oh…well in that case…Homer I hope you don't mind a visitor!" Abe yelled again.

Homer replied again, but Marge could not make it out and simply waited for Abe to deliver the ultimatum. "He said come on in."

Marge thanked Abe who let her inside and led her to the living room where Homer was laying on a nearby couch, his back propped up by pillows while he watched Taxi. Marge really didn't need much help finding where he was, the familiar scent of Bengay filled the room. When Homer saw Marge though, his eyes seemed light up while he tried to sit up more, only to fall back to a more comfortable spot.

"You don't have to get up Homer, Henry told me all about it," Marge said as she handed Homer the turkey sandwich. Homer grabbed it and began to open it with a smile on his face.

"It was his fault too, too damn slow moving those desks. And how did you know I liked turkey?" Homer said as he tried to adjust the pillows so he could sit up better and eat the sandwich

"It was just a wild guess, and at least it doesn't hurt too bad," Marge said.

"Yeah that's true, just a dull ache really. But what brings you here anyway, besides delivering me this yummy sandwich?" Homer asked as he took a bite.

Marge hesitated for a minute and tried to keep her emotions in. This was a lot harder than she realized and before she could even reply, she began to cry again. "You were right Homer," she said as tears fell down her face.

Ignoring his hurt back and setting his sandwich aside, Homer jumped up and motioned Marge to come sit next to him on the couch. Marge did so while Homer yelled at Abe to get him some water for Marge. "What do you mean I was right?"

"About Artie, he was cheating on me," Marge said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Homer stared back at Marge, he could not believe that Artie could really sink so low and at the moment, he was ready to find him and beat him up. Marge should never be subjected so something so terrible, she was too beautiful and kind for that.

"Where is he?" Homer asked as he struggled to make himself get up thanks to his injured back.

"He's in Capitol City now, he took a job offer there a week ago," Marge said with a sigh.

"Hmmm…he's lucky he's there because if he weren't…" Homer showed his fist as he sat back down as gently as he could.

"I can't believe I didn't figure it out until you said something, I feel so stupid right now. How could I have missed it?" Marge asked as she looked down at the floor.

"How long had he been doing it anyway? Did you ask him?" Homer asked.

"No, I got a voice mail from him the night I took you to coffee. He said he wasn't coming home that night and as I listened, I could hear a baby crying and people yelling in the background, and that's when I sensed something. So when he came home I asked who she was and how long it had been going on," Marge said.

"What do you mean you heard a baby?" Homer asked.

Marge hesitated for a moment, it was so much harder to talk about, she didn't say anything to the other teachers because she really wasn't very close to them, so they had no idea. They just thought Marge was bringing the baby because of a short meeting. And before she knew it, she was sobbing heavily and telling Homer everything. "He had an affair and got her pregnant. To make matters worse, he had been seeing this girl since before we even married. Why did he even want to marry me if he did such a thing? Why Homer?" Marge asked as Homer patted her on the back and let her cry her heart out.

"I don't even know, even my own gender is hard to explain, and seriously, if he was still in town I would be murdering him right now, even if my back is killing me," Homer replied with an angry voice. "And he has two kids now, boy I hope you are making him pay for child support."

"I'm thinking about it," Marge said while she blew her nose.

"I would make him pay because he gave you this child, he should at least have some common decency to help you take care of it," Homer said. "After all, you're on your own now."

"That's very true Homer, not only do I have to support myself, but Lisa too. I mean I do make enough money, but every little bit helps," Marge said as she looked down at a sleeping Lisa. Homer stared down at her with Marge. For a moment, he wished Lisa was his, then he could be the perfect father for her and never leave her for some sleaze.

"Every little bit does, but does he care enough to know that? Did he even show any interest in helping you?" Homer asked.

Marge sat there and thought for a minute. She really didn't remember if Artie mentioned that he wanted to help with Lisa, only that he got the papers for their divorce. Sure he took care of her the night she kicked him out, but that was the most he had ever done really. It was like he was just going to disappear off the face of the earth, never to be heard from again, just like the men she dated over the years. She should have seen the signs, they were right there in front of her; she had seen them before back in high school. Was she so lost in love that she didn't notice?

"I don't know, and that worries me now. He's just like every boy I've ever met; they love you and then go after someone else. I should have learned my lesson by now," Marge said as she tried to wipe the tears away while a thought suddenly occurred to her. If she should have learned her lesson by now, why was she even talking to Homer? He was probably just like all the other guys, love her and then leave her, It had happened to her every single time, ever since she was ten. "And why am I even talking to you, you're a man who will most likely do the same thing."

Marge then began to rummage through her purse, looking for her keys to her car. She just wanted to run away and hide again. Too many thoughts were brimming in her head, like taking care of Lisa for the next eighteen years, if Artie would even show himself to her again, and if she would ever trust another man in her life. She was right, ever since she first fell in love with a boy at the young age of ten, all the relationships ended in heartbreak one way or the other. Why continue trying? Why even go to someone who would most likely break her heart like all the others?

"Marge please…I would never…" Homer began.

"Where the hell are my keys, ugh…this purse is like a bottomless pit," Marge ignored what Homer was saying. Homer could only watch, wishing she could stop for just a moment and listen to him.

As Marge dug through her purse, she took out many items so that they would not be in the way as she continued to look. Most of them were simple things that a lady needed, lipstick, eye shadow, and of course tampons, but then something Homer didn't expect to see caught his eye. To many, it seemed like an ordinary rock, slightly elongated, gray in color with the edges worn out over time. But as he studied it, he realized that this rock was once a little bigger and that it symbolized something very important.

"Here they are!" Marge exclaimed as she started putting things back in. Marge noticed Homer holding the stone and held her hand out.

"Where did you get this?" Homer asked, not giving it back to her right away.

"Oh this stupid thing, I've had it since I was ten, I keep it near me just so I can remember all the hurtful things men can do. I really should have paid more attention to it over the years," Marge said as she tried to take the rock from Homer's hand.

"But where did you get it?" Homer asked as he kept his hand away from Marge.

"A boy gave it to me while I was at summer camp, we fell in love one night and agreed to meet again the next night, but he never did and it broke my heart because I thought he really did love me. I mean I got my first kiss from him and it was such a magical time. I had to leave early because he hurt me so badly," Marge said while she kept trying to get the rock out of his hand and getting angrier by the second. "Give me my rock!"

"Only if you stay here for one more minute," Homer replied as he jumped up, forgetting that he had hurt his back earlier. For a moment he stood by the couch and rubbed his back as he tried to stand up straight. Finally he made his way up to his room, walking like a hunched over old man, but a little faster. Marge watched him go, wondering what was so important that he had to leave the couch to get. A few minutes later, he returned with something Marge did not expect to see. The half of her heart, connected to the other half that she left behind years ago.

Marge stared at it in disbelief. "But the boy's name was Elvis Jagger Abdul-Jabbar…hmmm…now that I think about it, that name does sound pretty farfetched."

"I…uh…wanted to make my name sound cool to impress you," Homer replied sheepishly.

Marge looked back at Homer, unsure if she should really believe him or not. Was he really the boy who kissed her by the lakeside that one magical night? Was he really the one she thought she truly loved, only to be abandoned and forgotten by the boy so quickly? It didn't sound very believable; to meet up with that boy again was a one in a million chance.

"Why didn't you come back to me that night? I waited for you for hours," Marge asked.

"I tried to, I really did, but I got hurt and somehow ended up in another camp. When I finally got to your camp, you had already left," Homer replied sadly.

Marge stared back at Homer, if she didn't feel so miserable at the moment, she would probably believe him. But for some reason, she felt his excuse didn't cut it and she was ready to just go home and wish that old wound had never been reopened.

"Do you know how much you upset me that day?" Marge asked.

"I think I can guess, but Marge, every time I think about that incident I remember the young girl whose feelings I hurt for not going back to her. I always wanted to tell her I was sorry, and since this is finally my chance, I want to say I'm sorry. And I really mean it," Homer said as he tried to grab Marge's hand but she took it away and looked down at the floor.

"I wish I could believe you…but I just don't know right now. Not after what Artie just did to me," Marge said as she got up and picked up Lisa's carrier.

Homer sat there, watching her go for a moment, wondering how he could persuade her to change her mind. But she was so upset right now that Homer knew he needed to convince her in the best way he could. He really did care about her, if he didn't then why did he think about her all the time while he was in love with someone else? He needed her to know that he was there for her, that he could help her through anything. He did not want to be like Artie and leave her for another woman, that was just cruel. Finally, he got up, a little slower than normal and made a beeline for the door. When he opened it, he found that the rain was now starting to fall and Marge was already finishing up with strapping Lisa in the car.

"Marge wait!" Homer cried as he tried his best to move swiftly toward her.

"Homer, please, I don't really know why I came to you tonight. I probably should just get help from my family and that's what I'm going to do. So please just move on, I'll be fine," Marge said as she got into the main driver's seat.

Homer did not stop there; he stood in front of the car and waited for Marge to roll down the window so he could talk to her. When she did, it was a look of both bitterness and a longing to find her mother and father.

"Listen Marge, please. I'm not like those other men you were with. If I could have helped it, I would have made sure to have seen you the night after and we would have gotten to know each other so much more. I have regretted that day, and I always wanted to apologize to that little girl I upset. I never knew it was you, but I am glad to see it was. I promise Marge, I promise that I will help you in whatever way you need; I won't give up on you and leave you for someone else. I just can't do that, you don't deserve to be abandoned like that," Homer said as tears fell down his face.

Marge was crying as well and she really did want to believe him, but Artie and other loves had messed her thoughts up so bad that she knew she had to be careful. She felt she needed to talk to her parents first, to tell them more about the situation. They knew Artie left, Marge was just too distraught to really talk about it. They just told her to come to them if she needed them, and right now she needed them more than ever.

"I'll think about it," she finally said and revved up the engine. Homer thought about staying put, but decided against it and backed away as the car drove away down the rainy street, before disappearing into the rainy twilight. Homer stood there on the sidewalk for a good minute or so before he realized how heavily the rain was falling. He needed to go back inside.

When he entered the door, Abe was standing there waiting for him as if he was expecting some sort of package from the postman to show up.

"Well?" Abe asked.

"She's too distraught right now," Homer said.

"She's been broken, that's what's happened. You shouldn't have let her go. She needs someone like you to help her, to show her that not all us men are pigs," Abe said.

"But how, I just tried everything," Homer said as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Go find her; she needs you, that's why she came to you first. She might think that she's given up on men, but really, she needs you. And if you need her then you will know how to find her," Abe said.

Homer looked out the window, it was starting to rain heavily, but he knew rain was not supposed to stop him; he needed to find her and talk to her until she understood. It was time for him to be the man she had always wanted.

Marge's mind was weighing heavily on her as she made her way down the road to her parents. At the moment, she wished that she had never dug for her keys and brought out the half heart that changed her life those years ago. She could not believe that Homer had been the one she had kissed when she was only ten and that he had been in and out of her life ever since. If he had come back to her the next evening, she would have been excited. But since he bailed out on her she felt betrayed. She stopped at a red light and stared at it, trying to make sense of everything that had recently happened. But then, as she calmed down a little, she began to wonder, was Homer telling the truth about that night? Did he really end up somewhere else before he came back to her? It actually sort of sounded plausible, he was always an honest guy, at least around her, Artie had never truly been honest with her and that was her reason for acting so rational at that moment.

As she drove further down the road, she began to feel the need to turn back, to go back to Homer and talk to him, to listen to him. She had to, she had gone far enough earlier to do so and he was willing to talk even though he had a hurt back. Yes she had to turn around.

Of course her mind was not fully aware of how dangerous the one lane road was now thanks to all the rain. She did not calculate the correct length of the car that was heading down the road she was turning on. She needed to wait, but she didn't and turned right in front of the car. That was when she realized her mistake as the car tried to step on their brakes, while she braced herself for impact.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so the ending to this chapter is totally different than what I had in mind. I actually came up with this idea a couple of days ago; I thought it sounded very interesting. And because of that, my story has been accidentally extended. I'm not sure if it's one or two extra chapters but yeah, you'll be seeing a couple of extra chapters before I am truly done. So I hope you all like what I did and I hope Marge was believable. If you hate it, just let me know, I can redo it, I really don't mind.

I will be taking time with the next chapter, only because the Fourth of July week is coming up, and I know my American friends will be busy with festivities. I won't be, my state has enough fires burning at the moment to want to blow anything up, wish I could but I don't want to see more smoke billowing as I drive down the interstate. Oh and I am still looking to add more friends to my facebook page, so far I've only gotten six and really I feel that I've been just talking to myself, so come on guys, be my friend please. The name is Narfy Toon.

But any way please review when you can. Hope you all have a nice week.


	38. I Need You

Time seemed to stand still as Marge tried to get out of the way of the car that was coming toward her. Unfortunately, she didn't get out of the way in time and as the car behind her tried to slam on the brakes, it slid forward instead, hitting the rear side of Marge's car. This in turn cause a car behind that one to slam on their brakes and hit the car that hit Marge, and then another to do the same thing. Finally the fifth car was able to stop just in time while another sixth car barely missed that one.

Marge sat in her seat, dumbfounded by what just happened and amazed that the accident was not worse. It took her a minute to get her bearings back, but when she did, she realized that Lisa was crying and her motherly instincts kicked in. Marge turned to the backseat where she strapped Lisa. The seat was still in the same place, but she could see that right window and part of the back window was shattered. The glass did not look like it had fallen off the window, but Marge quickly grabbed Lisa to be sure and brought her to the front seat with her. There she stayed, while the rain continued to fall down outside feeling safer in there and waiting for police and fire to arrive.

Lisa continued to cry, but it turned into a soft cry, one that showed she was fine and willing to fall asleep again in Marge's arms. She stared down at her for a long time, smiling at Lisa and happy that they both got out of that unscathed. Hopefully everyone else in the accident did too.

She was so heavy in thought that she did not notice the figure making its way toward her until it knocked on her window. Thinking it was one of the other drivers; she rolled it down, only to find Homer standing there in the rain looking very concerned.

"You okay?" Homer asked.

Marge stared back at him in shock before replying. "Did you follow me here?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't part of the accident. I just want to try and help you. But do you mind if I come in there out of the rain and talk?" Homer asked as he tried to shake all the water out of his hair.

"Sure," Marge said as Homer made his way around to the passenger side and jumped in. He was soaking wet and looked more like a drowned dog than a human being. Marge wanted to help him dry off, but all she had was a small blanket that was Lisa's. Homer took advantage of it though and cleaned as much as he could off before the blanket was just as damp.

"Just so you know, I'm not moving from this spot until we have a nice long talk," Homer said as he handed Marge the blanket. She just tossed it in the back; she would just have to dry it off later.

"I'm okay with that, I just got really nervous just thinking about how Artie betrayed me like that, how he just didn't show any signs until I figured it out. I'm afraid it will happen again and that I will have to fend for myself," Marge said sadly.

"I understand Marge, and just so you know. I would never, ever do that to someone especially someone that I feel a connection with. I just think it's cruel, and the guilt I feel after doing something like that is unbearable. If I did do something that terrible I would make sure things ended okay and that you wouldn't have to struggle through it," Homer said as he stared back at Marge.

Marge was about to reply, when there was a knock on the window. Both jumped in surprise before Marge pulled down the window. This time an African American man in a policeman's uniform stood in front of him. According to his badge, his name was Lou and he looked a little concerned.

"Everything okay in here?" Lou asked.

"Yeah, we're fine. Do you mind giving us a few minutes, I need to talk to her," Homer said with a nervous smirk.

"Uh…sure, I'll give you five minutes," Lou said as he walked away while Marge rolled up the windows again and turned to Homer.

"Well that is very sweet what you said before the policeman came over, and I know I should have stayed at your place and ignored that weird feeling," Marge said.

"Besides, if I didn't care, would I drive all the way out here to find you?" Homer asked.

"Probably not," Marge said.

"Exactly, I've known and admired you for far too long to let you run away like this. And after seeing that other half of the heart, I'm beginning to wonder about us," Homer said.

"What do you mean?" Marge asked.

"Well think about it, we've actually known each other since we were ten and fell in love. We did not see each other again until another eight years, but when I saw you it was the same feeling I got when I met that little girl by the lakeside. I felt so terrible for abandoning her like that, she was too innocent and kind hearted to be forgotten and thrown away. She didn't deserve that, and still doesn't now. Until I met you, I always thought of that girl and wondered what became of her. Now I know," Homer said.

Marge could not help but blush a little at Homer. He had cared about her all his life without realizing it until now. There was no way she could walk away from him now. "It's good to know that after all these years; you wanted to apologize to me for what happened. I just thought you wanted to bring a girls hopes up and dash them to bits like many of the men I knew years afterward."

"Hell no! And after that night at the prom, well once school was over, I couldn't stop thinking about you. And I sort of have a confession to make…" Homer began but was quickly interrupted by the cop who knocked on the window once again. Marge pulled down the window and let Homer do the talking.

"Times up, we need to talk to everyone about the accident and exchange insurance. Moving these cars out of the road is important too," Lou said.

"Can't the insurance thing wait just a little longer, and go ahead and call tow truck, this is a very important conversation that just can't wait any longer," Homer said as he pulled out his wallet and began to look through it until he found the biggest bill he could find, a twenty dollar bill that he was glad to give to Lou to just keep him out of the way.

"Sir, it's a punishable offense for bribing a police officer," Lou began before looking around and then taking the money out of Homer's hand. "But since no one saw that, I will let you go. One dollar for each minute, twenty minutes, got that?"

Homer nodded before Lou walked away. He watched him go for a minute before responding again. "So what was I about to say?"

"You had a confession to make."

"Oh right, well remember the girlfriend I had in Key West?" Homer asked.

"Of course, she was very pretty," Marge said.

"And I miss her a lot sometimes, but my mind was always on you and when you showed up that night in Key West, I got upset because I finally had gotten you out of my mind and I was ready to move on to the future. But when I saw you again, my feelings for you returned and Jenna got upset, and well…that was the end," Homer said sadly remembering that night with a heavy heart.

"But she seemed so forgiving, I mean I could understand how she wanted to continue with schooling, but giving up on you like that, you two seemed to work out really well," Marge said.

"Yeah I know, I sort of regret it but she was right, I wasn't going to stay in Key West for long. There are other things out there for me, things I can't expect and just be surprised about," Homer said with a sigh.

"I bet you were surprised when you saw me at school," Marge said.

"Oh you know I was, in fact I'm actually glad you haven't put a restraining order on me, since I seem to stalk you everywhere I go," Homer said with a grin.

"Nah you seem harmless enough," Marge laughed as she shoved Homer a little.

Homer couldn't help but laugh either. For a moment, both were silent as they watched the rain fall from the broken down car, the lights of the emergency vehicles illuminated around them. It seemed like a harmless traffic accident, no one seriously hurt, a very good sign, and one that Marge was grateful for. For the longest time, both of them sat there thinking about what to say to the other. Homer still had those feelings for her, one that told him he needed her more than ever. She made his life complete it seemed. But was that the same thing Marge felt? Marge liked Homer, but because of what Artie did, she was really not ready to dive deep, maybe stay in the shallow water for a little while.

"Would you give me a chance?" Homer asked after a few minutes.

"What?" Marge asked as she came out of her thoughts.

"Would you give me a chance?" He asked again.

Marge looked at Homer; his eyes showed that he wanted to hear the right thing. He looked like a lost puppy dog that she found and had followed her home for so long. She had run into him so many times, that there had to be a reason for it, they had done it since they were ten, it had to mean something. But there was that issue of waiting to sign the paperwork with Artie, the issue of moving on too soon. The issue of whether or not it would last and if her heart would be broken again.

"Can you give me some time?" Marge asked nervously.

"Artie huh?" Homer asked.

Marge nodded and let out a sigh before shedding a tear. Just thinking about how she thought he was the man of her dreams gave her an achy feeling in her chest, all those years of being together wasted and thrown away like an old newspaper. She needed someone to talk to now thanks to what she had gone through in only a weeks' time. She needed someone to lean on, and even though she wanted some time to think about it, she leaned up against Homer and started to cry on his shoulder. Homer looked at her shocked; Lisa was still on her lap watching her mother with curious eyes as well. Marge was finally going to Homer for something and he suddenly felt very accomplished, as if what he had hoped for all these years had finally come true, too bad it was because of a broken heart. Carefully he put his arm around her and hugged her tightly, letting her cry her eyes out. While he began to sing a new song he had been hearing on the radio by one of his favorite artists Bob Seger called "You'll Accomp'ny Me". It was one line in particular though that made Marge listen carefully.

"I see you smiling in the summer sun," Homer sang. "I see your long hair flying when you run."

"And you saw that, when you were with Jenna?" Marge asked before he could continue.

"I did," Homer said.

"And now that the two ten year olds have found each other again, you've made your mind up that it's meant to be?" Marge asked trying to remember the lyrics too. She had heard the song enough times as well to remember most of it.

"It's always been a feeling inside me that it's meant to be, ever since that day in detention. You had never been in detention before, and yet you had to get in trouble just that once so our paths could cross one more time. I was meant to see your beautiful face again, you were meant to see me again. We were meant for each other Marge we got to be! If not then how come we keep running into each other like this? Is it really just a coincidence or has this connection between us been written in the stars somehow?" Homer asked.

Marge lay there on Homer's shoulder, dumbfounded by what he said, he was right, there was no denying that. And now that she knew him better, talked to him more, saw that he was willing to help her get to the hospital on time, she couldn't disagree. "It does make you wonder."

"Marge, I just want to be with you, I want to be a part of your life, and if you even reject that idea, I really don't know what I should do," Homer said as he felt a tear fall down his face. "I need you Marge! I need you like the earth needs rain! I need you like the day turning into night! I need you like you need me! Don't deny that, there has got to be a reason why you came to me."

Marge sat up again and looked back into Homer's eyes. They were a dull brown, but they had so much sincerity in them that it was hard not to let go. He had a nurturing feel to him that Artie never seemed to possess. She had loved Artie, and she had thought the feeling was mutual until he admitted his affair. Her pain was her pain, her sadness was her sadness. Artie never actually cared; they only married because they wanted to. He helped her with things because that was what he had to do, not what he wanted. No other reason, only because they had been together for so long, dealing with homework and never getting mad at each other somehow. They had a child, but only Marge showed affection to the little miracle.

But Homer was so different. Her pain was his pain and her sadness was his sadness. Both were crying now and both knew that there was no way one was not leaving without the other. They needed each other no matter what. For some reason she knew that his heart would never break hers, nor would she do that to him. He had already met Lisa and already they seemed to share a bond between each other. In fact, at that very moment, Lisa was gripping his shirt tightly, possibly because she was between them but she didn't seem to want to let go when Marge tried to pry her off. She couldn't say no, Homer broke her heart once, but it was an honest mistake and he never wanted to do it again because it hurt him. He was right, they were meant for each other, if she was going to someone else, would she cling to him the way she was doing it to Homer?

"I need you too, Homer!" Marge replied before she leaned against him again and started crying her eyes out. "Just like you I'm starting to wish that that night ended differently.

Homer let her cry on his shoulder while he rocked her back and forth. Lisa between them, never making a sound, they just watched the rain fall on the widow and illuminate with the red, white and blue lights. They did this until Lou once again knocked on the window.

"Can't take any more bribes or give you more time, so step out of the car please," Lou said.

Homer and Marge did what they were told. Quietly they got out, while they did so, Marge handed Lisa to Homer before taking out the car seat and handing that to him as well. "Can you put this in your car, and bring Lisa with you. I'll just go work on some paperwork and be right back."

"Will do," Homer said as he clutched Lisa tightly and ran to his car out of the rain. It wasn't raining as hard as it had been, but it was a good idea to get out of it, just to keep Lisa from getting too cold.

Homer carried Lisa to his car, and put the car seat in the back. He stared at it for a moment, wondering how exactly it needed to be buckled. Never having the experience of watching someone do a car seat, he decided to play it safe and left it there in the back before going back to the driver's seat with Lisa.

For a long time, they both sat there, Homer watching the rain and waiting for Marge while Lisa cooed in his lap, happy and content. After waiting for as long as he could, he decided to keep himself occupied and looked down at Lisa who had a cute little smile on her face. Homer smiled back and tickled her a little under her chin. Her tiny hand took Homer's finger and she began to suck on it happily.

"How can no one love you, Artie must be missing something in his brain. Yeah I bet your father pushed it out while he discovered that his job was more important or something," Homer said.

Lisa let go of his finger and cooed again before drooling. Homer could not help it, but he decided to hold her up and bounce her a little bit. Ever since he ran out to get Marge, he had forgotten that his back had hurt so when he lifted her, his back suddenly gave out and he was stuck in the position with Lisa high in the air like some lion prince being shown at a ceremony. Lisa didn't seem to mind though and let out a happy giggle before poking Homer in the nose.

"Heh thank God you don't mind this," Homer said as he tried to lower his arms. He was finally able to, but not quickly enough because moments later, Lisa spit up what had been her banana mash and milk only a few hours ago.

"You seem to like doing that don't you," Homer said as he wiped his chin and chest of baby vomit. Lisa only giggled. "Oh well, that's what happens when you have kids."

Marge finally returned after the long wait looking a little tired but overall glad that things were taken care of.

"Everything alright?" Homer asked.

"Yeah, my car's gonna be in the shop for a few weeks. I was the one who sort of started the accident. But since it was dark and rainy they said since there were no major injuries, they won't press charges," Marge said.

"That's good, you don't need any more headaches," Homer said as he handed Lisa over to her.

"No, but was Lisa good while I was gone?" Marge asked.

"She barfed on me but she seemed to enjoy me," Homer said.

Marge could not help but laugh a little, already she was having some memorable times with Homer and Lisa, more so than when Artie was with her and that was just before he left.

"So where to?" Homer asked. "Your parent's house?"

"No I'm ready to go home, and I would like you to come with me," Marge said.

"Well I sort of have to since I'm driving you," Homer said with a sheepish chuckle.

"Oh yes that's right, but it's going to be lonely in the house tonight, come stay with me. We can talk about things and get to know each other better. Doesn't that sound nice?" Marge asked.

"It sounds amazing!" Homer replied.

Finally after so many years, Homer was going home with Marge. Was it going to last? He sure hoped so; he wanted to give her a good life, a fun life, and an amazing life. What he had dreamed about for so long had finally come true and he didn't want it to end. He wanted to remain faithful and loyal and to be a good role model for her daughter Lisa. He knew he could do it, he waited this long, he did not want it to change. Life was finally heading in the right direction for him and hopefully for Marge too. And he could not wait now to see what the future held.

* * *

A/N: Believe it or not, this is the third revision to this chapter. Well actually the second. I started writing it like this the first time. Thought I had a better idea, rewrote it, didn't like it and came back to this. So I hope you all liked it and found it to be a worthy scene between the two. And for the many months that I worked on this story, I listened to "You'll Accomp'ny Me" by Bob Seger more times than you can count. It's basically the theme to this story, I just never revealed it, I wanted to keep that a secret until now. And I'm not done yet, one more chapter to go, it's more of an epilogue really, but I felt it needed one of those just because. So yeah I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and are willing to see one more from me before my time is up. So please review when you can and have a great week.


	39. Epilogue

A/N: Well it's finally come to this, the final chapter. I will admit too, this is very bittersweet for me, not only because I spent a little over a year and a half writing it, but also because it is my last long story here on fanfiction. I knew it would be a long story, I just didn't know it would take so long and I blame the many transitions I made along the way. From finally graduating from college, to moving to Florida, to driving back to Colorado with a friend, and then moving in a new place that took me forever to get used to. It just took forever. But you know, it was an amazing experience and full of so many memories. I know I lost a lot of readers, many of them good friends, but I gained a few more and I loved hearing from every one of you with your reviews. Even if a few of you only wrote one sentence, I will admit, I am not really a fan of those, mainly because they don't dive in and say what you really liked about the chapter. And I just got five of those in a row in my last chapter. So please say more in the review, it makes me happier.

Truthfully I think the plot worked better with how long it took me; a few later scenes weren't added until much later. I always planned on Marge having a girl instead of a boy, and one time for about a week I toyed with the idea of Jenna becoming pregnant with Homer's child, then her and the baby dying at childbirth. But it just sounded too cruel and I really didn't want to kill anyone off in this story. Homer nearly committing suicide was an idea I came up with about four chapters before that one and of course the car accident thing was last minute. And of course the biggest story here was the idea of Moe's life. I actually had a long conversation with Calculated Chaos (someone I miss very much, and wish for him to return) about what would make a good idea, Moe in a bar in Florida or Moe in a bar in New York but was also in trouble with the mob. After a while we began to realize that the New York story was great, but would make the story too long and would be a totally different story in and of itself and that was what brought about the idea of Key West. A place I still have not visited, but dream of going one day just for the fishing and the Dry Tortugas.

I know I'm rambling, and I apologize, I actually thought an author's note before the story was good, just so you would not have to read my blabbing afterward. But any way, I just want to say thank you to so many wonderful readers and reviewers. First off I want to mention a few who disappeared and stopped reading altogether. CalculatedChaos, Undead Samurai, Bdlywrttn, and Bruelock. You guys were my muses for the longest time. I miss you all so if you are reading this, just so you know I'm not mad, mainly because you helped me out a lot and kept me sane. You all did leave me and that's probably why my updates got really sporadic, but as you can see I carried on. But thank you guys for being around since forever. I will never forget you guys for as long as I live. You guys wanted me to write this, and you guys did read, but life got in the way. It sucks but it happens, so thank you guys, you meant a lot to me.

Then there are the others, you all played an important role too believe me. There were actually so many different faces, especially near the end and it just boggled my mind really, most were just one review wonders meaning I always wonder if they are still reading it. I would thank everyone individually and say how awesome they were but, that would take too long so I will just name you guys. So big thank you to Cartoonfanatic (Keep up the good work too, you've come a long way baby), Gypsy-Rosalie, futureauthor, Son of Whitebeard, Smileysarah, Javagirl1992, Lachal, Honeygoddess57, Symbermine, 8thweasleykid, A writer with mixed interests (Lucy simpson Griffin?), Innocent Fox, newSlove, damonika2009, xlilslayerx, kkman57, treacletoffee, berryfairy, Shoz999, and LittleGreenPen. And most importantly the biggest thank you yet to Chnprod22 from Deviant Art. She was such a big help mainly getting me back to what I should be doing. And of course the lovely drawings she did. I wish her the best when she goes to college and I hope we can remain friends. If I have forgotten anyone, I apologize; please let me know if I did. If I remember I will send you all a private message later to say hi and thank you once more when you all review one more time.

So what's next for me you might ask? Well I do have one more chapter of Hope and Expectations so far that I promised Chnprod that will be here in less than two months depending on what I'm up to. I would say I'm done after that, but I might write a few one shots here and there, so be on the lookout. I will stay around and read your stories and review when I can. But most important, I do have an original story that I hope to one day publish, it will be science fiction, basically involving an alien who investigates major crimes. Kind of like Sherlock Holmes, only crankier and kind of short. The character's name will be Taiyg, so be on the lookout. Maybe he will show up in bookshelves one day.

Any way I guess that's all I really have to say for now, so thank you all so much again and I hope this final chapter will be the perfect ending to the story that I thought would never end. Also apparently you can now see how many people like your stories; I was never actually a fan of that idea. I think it's always nice to keep that a secret. And what is up with the sudden influx of Sideshow Bob stories? Any way let's finish this.

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**Three years later.**

It was Sunday morning and Homer slowly awoke to a new day. For a while he lay there quietly, thinking about his plans for the day. He had promised Lisa he would take her to the park for a picnic and to play, but he also had a much bigger plan in mind. Carefully he rolled over and put his arm around Marge who was also starting to stir. She took his hand and both lay together quietly for a few moments before Marge had to adjust herself.

"Did he move?" Homer asked as he opened his eyes and looked down at Marge's large tummy. She was five months pregnant and really starting to show now.

"Just a little kick," Marge replied as she sat up and kissed Homer on the cheek.

Homer only smiled and thought about his plans for the day. The little miracle inside of Marge came to a surprise to both of them five months ago. Both of them really did not mind the idea of having another baby, the problem was, Homer had not married Marge yet. They were still boyfriend and girlfriend only because Marge was so worried about the idea of marrying again, even though Homer promised to never break her heart like Artie did. But he hoped to change that at the park, he had a ring and he was ready to propose.

"Are you still up for a picnic with Lisa today?" Homer asked.

"Of course! She won't stop talking about it!" Marge replied.

Homer could not help but smile as he thought about Marge's daughter. She never really knew her real father, only met Artie about three times in her three years of life since the divorce. She never saw him as her real father and instead called Homer her father. Homer felt so proud about it and was not afraid to share it with his best friends. Even Abe was proud of his son for helping Marge in her hour of need and was waiting for Homer to propose so he could call himself a grandfather. If Marge said yes today, things would be perfect, he would finally have what he wanted, even a good job. He was actually able to get one at the Nuclear Power Plant.

"Mommy! Daddy!" The small voice of Lisa called as she ran to her parent's room, still in her pajamas and holding onto a little teddy bear that Homer had bought her when she turned two. Her hair was still the color of her fathers, black but curly and pointy like her mothers. Other than that, she looked like her mother with she soft eyes and the cute little round nose.

"Hey kiddo! How's my little girl doing?" Homer asked as he lifted her up off the floor and set her between him and Marge.

"Is my brother here yet?" Lisa asked with a pouty look on her face while staring down at Marge's large belly. Marge had told her that she would be having a baby brother very soon; of course toddlers never knew the exact concept of time so she was unaware that it would be another three months.

"Not yet," Homer replied.

"When?" Lisa asked.

"Not for a while, he needs some time to prepare, but don't worry he's coming, just give it some time," Marge replied.

"Okay, can he be my Christmas present then?" Lisa asked.

Homer and Marge could not help but laugh at that. "Hopefully he will be here sooner than that," Marge replied. Of course Christmas was not for many months now and Lisa's birthday had already passed so both where not sure how to tell her when the baby was due.

"Will he kick his way out?" Lisa asked as she patted her mother's tummy.

"I surely hope not, that would hurt," Marge said.

"Well then how will he come out?" Lisa asked with a little worry in her voice.

Homer knew he had to intervene and quickly scooped up Lisa. "Why don't we let Mommy rest for a little bit while we prepare for our picnic?"

"Yay!" Lisa cried as she jumped out of the bed and ran to her room to get dressed.

Marge watched them go; she could not help but smile at the two as they worked so well together. And she kept wondering if Homer did ever ask the question would she hesitate or would she gladly say yes? She had been with him for three years now, he moved in with her six months after her divorce with Artie. They talked about marriage when they could, and it took a while for Marge to agree on the idea, she really wanted the love to last, and was afraid Homer would change his mind about her. She finally knew that it would not be the case little less than five months ago when she found out she was pregnant. It took her a few days to tell Homer but when she finally did, Homer could not help but smile for hours on end and was even more excited than she was. He told everyone he knew and began to feel guilty about not being married to marge yet.

Because of this, Marge began to realize that life was good now, Homer was always around and taking care of things, never at all like Artie. Artie did help with child support every month and usually wrote her a letter about what was going on. Apparently his life was not as exciting as hers. She let out a sigh, trying to get her ex-husband out of her mind; luckily the little miracle inside of her helped her with that by letting out a little kick. Marge patted her tummy and decided to get up and get ready. Lisa had been waiting for this day all week, and she did not want to let her daughter down.

It was the perfect day for a picnic, there were barely any clouds in the sky and the family was lucky enough to find a nice little spot under an oak tree right next to a little creek by the playground. While Homer and Marge made a nice little picnic spread, Lisa played in the playground and would occasionally come back to both of them to see how things were going. After a while, she got a little bored of sliding down the slide, so she helped them until everything was in its proper place. Once things were ready, the little family sat down and had some delicious turkey sandwiches, chips, and drinks while listening to the birds chirp and the kids play.

It's the perfect day isn't it Marge," Homer said with a sigh while Marge leaned against him as a more comfortable position.

"It definitely is, I'm glad you suggested it," Marge said as she took a swig of water.

"You know what would make this even better?" Homer asked as he dug through the bag that held the desserts in.

"More chocolate?" Marge asked as she watched Homer rummage through the bag.

"Well that," began Homer before pulling out a small velvet box. "But you know, I think it's time we realized that…well…I mean at least I think. Maybe perhaps we don't need to find anyone else to make us happy." Homer opened the box to reveal a diamond ring that shone when the light hit it just right.

Marge looked down at it in shock, unable to speak while tears began forming in her eyes. "I promise you Marge that I will never leave you for someone else. I will never let you go, and even if I don't have much to offer, I hope my love for you will do." Homer said as he waited for a reply.

Marge stared for a few moments, forgetting that she needed to answer. She knew the proposal was coming soon, but didn't realize it would be that day. She knew she needed to say yes, she needed to stop being nervous and realize that all men were not like Artie. Homer was loyal, honest and simply amazing, she could not say no. Finally she leapt forward, hugging Homer tightly before finally replying. "Yes Homer! Yes!"

Homer could not help but cry a little as Marge hugged him tightly. He could not believe it, she actually said yes. They were going to be a real family now, a real married couple with two children and a wonderful future in store for them.

At least that was what Homer believed any way, and he was right. If they could both look into the future at that exact moment, they would discover that their lives would work out perfectly. They would marry shortly after the birth of Marge's second child and Homer's first. A boy named Bartholomew J. Simpson. He would grow to be just as wild and crazy as his father, causing mischief wherever he went and driving his parents bonkers. But they still loved him just the same, and both were very proud of their special little guy. When Lisa turned eleven, another surprise would come to both Homer and Marge in the form of little Maggie Simpson. And even though she was a surprise, they still loved her just the same and cherished her day in and day out.

If they looked into the future, they would see Lisa growing up to be one of the smartest little girls they ever met. She would need glasses by the time she turned ten thanks her father's genes. She would be the spitting image of her mother, save for the dark hair, and she would love her step father to death. She would one day meet her half-sister Silvia during a spelling bee contest. Silvia was just as smart as she was and both would compete to see who was smarter than the other thanks to getting their smartness from their father Artie. Both would end up in a tie, but the rivalry would remain, neither one liking the other one.

Artie would remain a bachelor for the rest of his life, but would still be hounded by Olivia, he paid child support for her and was often asked by Olivia if he had any interest in marrying her. Artie would always say no, he simply did not want another commitment, especially with Olivia who he really did not love. He would be married to his work instead; he would soon move up the ladder of his job and become quite successful at what he did. Marge did not feel jealous of him, if that's what he wanted, then so be it, she had Homer to love now.

If they looked into the future, they would find that Clancy Bouvier would live longer than the doctors told him. Another twelve years to be exact! He passed away shortly after Lisa turned fifteen when the emphysema finally caught up with him. Everyone knew it was to be expected, but it was still a heavy blow, especially for Jacqueline who spent months trying to cope before finally accepting his departure from the world.

Abe Simpson would see his wife again in a few years, Mona would return one day after deciding that she had enough of running from the law and was ready to go into retirement. Abe was so happy to see her again and both lived a nice happy retirement in Abe's old house and would often baby sit for Homer and Marge when they wanted to have a special night together.

Finally if they looked one more time into the future, they would discover that Jenna would have a happy ending for her too. She would graduate from business school and become a successful business lady. In her new job she would meet the man of her life, Henry and they would marry a few years later and have two boys Connor and Timothy. She would meet up with Homer again one day, by pure accident. She would go to Capitol City for a conference and surprisingly enough, Homer would be there for his job. Both were so happy to see each other and both would exchange phone numbers and stay in contact for many years. Even Mick was lucky enough to continue on his journey all over the world singing his heart out, but never actually meeting the right girl. But he was okay with that, he loved his music the most and he was a happy traveler.

But at the moment, neither of them really cared what lay in store for them. Of course they knew they had to plan the wedding and prepare for Bart's birth, but other than that, they were just happy and content with their current situation. Homer had proved to Marge that he loved her more than any man would ever love a woman. He never stopped thinking about her even after they disappeared out of each other's lives, and when he finally saw her again, he would not let her go. Why it took Marge a while to see that, she was not sure. But now she was more than willing to let him be the man for her. To have children together, to take care of each other for as long as they would live, and to grow old together.

"Daddy!" Lisa called to Homer as she stood by the creek bed staring at something in the water.

Homer let go of Marge and made his way over to Lisa who was wading in a small part of the water where no current was, and all around her were tiny fish, biting her tiny toes.

"It tickles Daddy," Lisa said with a giggle.

Homer put his feet in the water and he too was nibbled on by the tiny fish. "They like us; did I ever tell you about how I used to catch big giant fish?"

"No! Were they bigger than these little fishes?" Lisa asked.

"Way bigger, some were as big as that rock over there," Homer replied as he pointed a boulder that was bigger than his head.

"How were you able to catch them, they're too fast," Lisa said as she tried to grab one, but it and all the other fish disappeared into the stream.

"We used a very strong fishing pole with yummy looking food on the end. Wanna know how I almost caught the most ferocious fish during a huge storm?" Homer asked.

"Did it try to eat you?" Lisa asked with fascination in her eyes.

"No but it did fight back and it was a tough battle too. And it all started when Uncle Moe decided to play a game with one of his biggest rivals during a very big hurricane…" Homer began as he grabbed a stick that looked like a fishing pole. He started to tell his story through action and words while Lisa sat on a nearby rock with her feet in the water, listening intently to her future step father's words and never taking her eyes off him.

From where they were having a picnic, not too far off, Marge was watching as Homer told the story to Lisa. A smile crept over her face as she felt proud for such a great interaction between Homer and Lisa. She was happy that Lisa adored him and that Homer felt the same about Lisa. She and Homer had made the right choice, they would be together through thick and thin, for as long as both shall live. It was a match made in heaven that wasn't seen until years after they had met. She knew she should have given him a chance in the beginning but she was young and naïve and went for the man who claimed to be a gentleman. She learned from her mistake and knew that what was going to happen now was not a mistake.

It was the way it should be.

**The End**


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